While this LibGuide is intended to be a nonpartisan one, our current president has raised a lot of alarm about mail-in voting efforts and voter fraud. We understand that for those who have not voted by mail before, you may have concerns, but rest assured that claims on this subject are unfounded, and have been debunked time and time again. To set the record straight on some common talking points right up front:
Please see this article from AP Fact Check for information on some of these claims and more, as well as this article and this article from the Brennan Center for Justice for details on the subject, and we encourage you to explore many other articles on this subject supported by comprehensive research available on their website. Please also see our Disinformation page for more information.
It's no surprise that this upcoming election is an opportunity rife with disinformation, from actors both at home and abroad, aiming to influence the American voter for political gain. It's important that we all familiarize ourselves with media literacy, and be vigilant in rooting out the truth from targeted advertisements, articles, social media posts, and video content.
A quick tip from information professionals is to CRAAP test every bit of news you see. It stands for:
Remember to question and root out all of these key aspects every news article, campaign claim, and social media post in your search for truth.
PEN America, a nonprofit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and celebrate free expression in the United States and worldwide through the advancement of literature and human rights", has a free comprehensive election disinformation lecture, which we've included below. We encourage you to view it.
This simple but excellent chart illustrates how conspiracy theories can evolve from events that really happened into dangerous and fictitious territory.