2024 Campaign Heats Up: Watchdogs Sound Alarm on Looming Election Threats

Voter intimidation, a mass departure of election workers, and ongoing misinformation campaigns are casting a shadow over the upcoming November elections, warned Common Cause officials on Tuesday.

This year’s election marks the first presidential race since the widespread “big lie,” noted Common Cause President Virginia Kase Solomón during a video call with reporters. She referred to the claims by then-President Donald Trump and his allies attempting to discredit the 2020 election results by pushing baseless conspiracy theories and urging supporters to disrupt Congress’ certification process on January 6, 2021.

Common Cause, a nonpartisan entity, intentionally avoided mentioning Trump, who is again the Republican nominee, by name. However, Solomón emphasized that the 2020 election experience had a lasting negative impact on the nation’s election integrity. She highlighted that many seasoned election workers have resigned rather than face ongoing threats and harassment from conspiracy believers.

“We’re still living with the legacy of those lies,” Solomón stated. “They’ve weakened the trust of numerous Americans in our elections and fueled anger and inflammatory rhetoric, which has also led to an uptick in threats and harassment towards election officials, resulting in significant staff turnover.”

Challenges this election cycle are compounded by enhanced generative artificial intelligence tools that simplify the dissemination of disinformation, according to Common Cause experts. State laws are also contributing to the confusion and possible voter disenfranchisement. For example, a recent Florida measure requiring new requests for vote-by-mail ballots could prevent many from receiving their ballots as expected.

Suzanne Almeida, Common Cause’s director of state operations, noted that while actual political violence is rare, there has been an increase in threats, militant language, doxing, and other forms of harassment. A recent Brennan Center for Justice study found that 38% of election workers have faced threats, and more than half of local election officials worry about their safety.

Although surveys indicate that voters from both parties oppose political violence, Almeida pointed out that some candidates have amplified violent rhetoric to mobilize their base. A Trump campaign spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.

Ishan Mehta, Common Cause’s media and democracy program director, commented on the rise of misinformation, particularly the role of advanced AI technologies in creating convincing fraudulent content. Social media platforms, which increased misinformation enforcement post-January 6, are now scaling back these efforts. As an example, Elon Musk, owner of social media platform X, recently tweeted a doctored video of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.

Amy Keith, executive director of Common Cause Florida, warned that changes to Florida’s election laws would confuse voters and result in some not receiving their mail-in ballots. Over 1.9 million Floridians who received mail-in ballots in 2022 won’t automatically receive one now, due to a legal requirement for new ballot requests with added identification.

Common Cause is actively working to inform Florida voters that they need to request mail-in ballots if they wish to vote that way, Keith said. Voters are also reminded they can still vote in person even if they have requested a mail ballot.

Philip Hensley-Robin, Executive Director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, predicted isolated incidents of political violence or intimidation on Election Day. He announced plans to deploy “hundreds of poll monitors” across Pennsylvania to track such incidents and assist in conflict de-escalation. He also alluded to potential “spurious” lawsuits aimed at undermining voter confidence.

Solomón added that the organization would continue to educate voters about misinformation, particularly from AI, and manage expectations regarding possible delays in election results. She stressed the importance of proactive democracy efforts. “In the 2020 election, a false narrative emerged that democracy simply held on its own. In reality, we actively made it hold,” she said.