Online Voter Suppression: How to Spot It & How to Counter It

Misinformation and disinformation that suppresses voter participation can be deployed through a variety of media. Online voter suppression can range from inaccurate information about the date of an election, to inaccurate reports of long lines, to efforts to persuade people that an election is “rigged” and their vote wouldn’t matter. However, it can be extremely difficult to discern the intent behind a post on social media, and a malicious intent is not always necessary for a post to have a voter-suppressive effect. This short guide focuses on how to spot content on social media that can suppress voter participation.