Whether by intimidation or hacking, election interference is increasingly pervasive and dangerous. And while much attention is given to foreign interference, the threat is far broader than most think: It includes many everyday conversations and interactions. A casual chat with a neighbor or a barista could be part of a hostile influence campaign. The same goes for conversations that might take place in the context of work, education or media. In fact, even a messy political debate might be considered election interference if it is intended to influence the motivations, intentions and context in which voters think about politics.
A new administration is emboldening rogue election officials to threaten elections from within. The president is promoting conspiracy theories that the 2020 election was stolen, and has attempted to subvert state prosecutors’ role in counting and certifying ballots. His actions risk encouraging rogue election officials to violate state law in support of these efforts. For example, in 2021 Tina Peters, an election clerk in Colorado, broke state law by giving unauthorized access to voting equipment to a man associated with My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell and spreading baseless conspiracy theories that the vote was rigged. She was convicted and sentenced to nine years in prison. Now, the president and DOJ are reviewing her case—a clear signal to rogue officials that they will be supported when they break state laws in support of Trump’s attempts at election subversion.
It is essential that we strengthen our democracy. That means ensuring that our voting systems produce a voter-verifiable paper record, and that we protect against cyberattacks and other threats to electoral integrity. It also means that we address the information vulnerabilities that make it possible for hackers and trolls to undermine democratic processes.