Truth in Voting: Combating Disinformation and Misinformation in the 2024 Elections

As Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, the General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ, explained as part of the Our Faith, Our Vote campaign, voting is an essential way for people of faith to bring about the just world we want to see. It is how we can love-in-action, as 1 John 3:18 teaches us.

Even when politics seems broken, we at UCC Media Justice see, every day, the tremendous impact of national and local elections. Do not give up, get out to vote, and encourage your friends and loved ones to do so also. Do not let forces arrayed against justice prevail in pushing you out of your democracy.

As part of our joint effort to ensure that everyone participates in our civic life, it is important to know about the hurdles that face us. In the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, one place where our democratic processes face a significant challenge is from a deluge of disinformation and misinformation.

Misinformation is unintentionally false information. Disinformation is false and intends to mislead. Both can play a powerful role in negatively influencing public opinion and voter behavior.

Deceptive practices sow confusion among voters, spreading doubts about the mechanics of voting and the integrity of our electoral process. For example, misleading information about polling locations or inaccurate voting times can prevent voters from casting their ballots and skew election outcomes. Other deceptive information can cause us to lose hope and step away from the political process. Here’s what UCC Media Justice will be watching out for:

• Disinformation campaigns targeting people of color that exploit language barriers and cultural nuances to spread false narratives and sow distrust in the electoral system to suppress voter turnout. Recent polling revealed that Black Americans disproportionately encounter lies online.
• The use of AI-generated content, including deep fakes. These technologies create convincing false videos and images that mislead voters, and they are on the rise. For example, early this year Joe Biden’s voice was impersonated to influence the New Hampshire primary. This content complicates efforts to distinguish between genuine and fabricated information.
• Distrust in mainstream media and other traditional sources of information which has led to an increased reliance on social media for news. But social media platforms can be the worst place to go for reliable news because they are often rife with unverified and misleading content.

Although these developments are concerning, we can make powerful changes when we work together.

At UCC Media Justice, we joined with 200 organizations asking social media companies to implement election integrity policies. We are continuing to work to make traditional, broadcast media accountable to the communities they serve, so communities can rely on it. We support the Federal Communications Commission’s quick action to sanction electoral deep fake phone calls and to establish transparency rules in political advertising. The UCC is pressing lawmakers, especially Congress, to pass legislation that would firmly prohibit deceptive practices and prevent voter intimidation by making it unlawful to knowingly provide false information, online or offline. Join our email list so you can help.

As individual members of the United Church of Christ community, here are some specific actions you can take to fight disinformation and misinformation:

1. #KnowYourFacts. Always check the accuracy of a video, story, or article from a reputable source before sharing it, using websites like Politifact, Snopes, or FactCheck.org. Or use the Southern Poverty Law Center’s helpful guide for how to spot AI-generated disinformation in your social feed.
   
2. Don’t amplify false narratives: Avoid sharing mis- or disinformation, even to debunk it. Instead, share factual content to contribute positively to online discussions.
3. Educate your circle: If you see friends or family sharing disinformation or misinformation, engage them with kindness and present correct information. Suggest they check the facts themselves. Don’t get into a fight online. #KnowYourResponsibility #KnowYourLimits
4. Report disinformation: Use the support tools provided by social media platforms to report false information. You can also alert organizations like Common Cause through their disinformation tip lines. The FCC also accepts complaints and offers tips on deepfake scams of all kinds.

Many of these pointers are part of UCC Media Justice’s #KnowPeaceOnline campaign which offers six guideposts to a better world online.

UCC Media Justice invites you to join with us in praying during the 2024 election season:

God, help us, our neighbors and our political leaders to put our love for our world into action. As we prepare to vote in November and encourage our neighbors to do the same, let us be vigilant in verifying the information we share and courageous in confronting falsehoods. Call us to seek out truth and justice and educate ourselves and others during this critical election year. Help us to do that by giving us the perseverance to create a society where all people have access to reliable, trustworthy information from sources that are accountable to the communities they serve and that reflect the full diversity of our country.

Cheryl A. Leanza is a policy advisor at United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry. The United Church of Christ is a faith community rooted in justice that recognizes the unique power of the media to shape public understanding and thus society. For this reason, the United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry, established in 1959, works to create just and equitable media and technology systems that give meaningful voice to diverse peoples, cultures and ideas. Learn more at www.uccmediajustice.org