• Home
  • Opinion
  • Quizzes
  • Redistricting
  • Sections
  • About Us
  • Voting
  • Independent Voter News
  • Campaign Finance
  • Civic Ed
  • Directory
  • Election Dissection
  • Events
  • Fact Check
  • Glossary
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Subscriptions
  • Log in
Leveraging Our Differences
  • news & opinion
    • Big Picture
      • Civic Ed
      • Ethics
      • Leadership
      • Leveraging big ideas
      • Media
    • Business & Democracy
      • Corporate Responsibility
      • Impact Investment
      • Innovation & Incubation
      • Small Businesses
      • Stakeholder Capitalism
    • Elections
      • Campaign Finance
      • Independent Voter News
      • Redistricting
      • Voting
    • Government
      • Balance of Power
      • Budgeting
      • Congress
      • Judicial
      • Local
      • State
      • White House
    • Justice
      • Accountability
      • Anti-corruption
      • Budget equity
    • Columns
      • Beyond Right and Left
      • Civic Soul
      • Congress at a Crossroads
      • Cross-Partisan Visions
      • Democracy Pie
      • Our Freedom
  • Pop Culture
      • American Heroes
      • Ask Joe
      • Celebrity News
      • Comedy
      • Dance, Theatre & Film
      • Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
      • Faithful & Mindful Living
      • Music, Poetry & Arts
      • Sports
      • Technology
      • Your Take
      • American Heroes
      • Ask Joe
      • Celebrity News
      • Comedy
      • Dance, Theatre & Film
      • Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
      • Faithful & Mindful Living
      • Music, Poetry & Arts
      • Sports
      • Technology
      • Your Take
  • events
  • About
      • Mission
      • Advisory Board
      • Staff
      • Contact Us
Sign Up
  1. Home>
  2. Election Dissection>
  3. election security>

Three takeaways from election meddling by Russia and Iran

David Levine
October 28, 2020
Three takeaways from election meddling by Russia and Iran
FBI Announces Iran, Russia Interfering In Election | The ReidOut | MSNBC
www.youtube.com

Last week we learned Russia and Iran are interfering in the 2020 presidential election. That's concerning, but hardly surprising. It's a reminder that Americans need to be vigilant as the election approaches. And there are some common-sense actions we all can take to make sure these adversarial countries don't succeed in undermining the U.S. vote.


A brief word about Russia and Iran. Russia remains the most significant threat, and its actions in 2016 are well documented. In fact, there's a lot of evidence that Russia has tried to undermine American democracy continuously for the past four years.

Iran may not have the same capabilities as Russia, but it has a long-standing goal of attacking democracy at home and abroad. In November 2019, the Departments of Justice, Defense and Homeland Security, along with the director of national intelligence, the FBI, the National Security Agency and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Administration all warned that a number of foreign malicious actors, including Russia, China and Iran would "seek to interfere in the voting process or influence voter perceptions" in 2020.

Iran's toolkit includes cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and malign finance (which entails secretly funding political parties, candidates, campaigns and influential groups). No one seriously questions its ability to acquire publicly available voter data and use it to send spoofed emails to intimidate voters, as DNI John Ratcliffe outlined last week.

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

There's no evidence any foreign country has been able to change votes or alter voter data in the United State. Still, last week's disclosures underscored that attempts to interfere in the 2020 presidential election are real, and they're ongoing.

There are three important takeaways from the latest developments.

First, the American public must remain vigilant. Election officials must continue monitoring their election systems regularly for signs of unusual activity. Social media companies need to observe their platforms closely for disinformation campaigns. And voters who haven't yet voted should make a plan to do so. They should bring documentation showing their eligibility to vote as a precaution.

Second, all Americans need to be assessing election-related news over the next couple of weeks calmly and cautiously. Check the sources of any information before sharing. If you see something that comes from a reputable source, but aren't sure of its validity, verify it through other reliable sources. And if you're seeking election information, go to the people running your elections — your state and local elections officials.

Finally, if you see something, say something. Potential election crimes — such as disinformation about the manner, time or place of voting — can be reported to the FBI. Make use of tools offered by social media companies to alert them about posts that appear to be spreading false or inconsistent election information. And if you see any potential problems while voting, be sure to raise them immediately with your local officials. That increases the likelihood they can be resolved.

Let's all do our part to help ensure that Americans are the only ones deciding the fate of the 2020 presidential election.

David Levine is an elections integrity fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy. Read more from The Fulcrum's Election Dissection blog or see our full list of contributors.

From Your Site Articles
  • Disinformation: remain calm and do not spread - The Fulcrum ›
  • What You Should Know About 2020 Disinformation and The Election ›
  • Disinformation emerging as a major threat to 2020 election - The ... ›
  • How disinformation could sway the 2020 election - The Fulcrum ›
Related Articles Around the Web
  • Why Disinformation Is a Major Threat to the 2020 Election ›
  • How To Spot 2020 Election Disinformation : NPR ›
  • The 2020 Election Will Be a War of Disinformation - The Atlantic ›
  • Disinformation in the 2020 Presidential Election: Latest Updates ... ›
election security

Want to write
for The Fulcrum?

If you have something to say about ways to protect or repair our American democracy, we want to hear from you.

Submit
Get some Leverage Sign up for The Fulcrum Newsletter
Confirm that you are not a bot.
×
Follow

Support Democracy Journalism; Join The Fulcrum

The Fulcrum daily platform is where insiders and outsiders to politics are informed, meet, talk, and act to repair our democracy and make it live and work in our everyday lives. Now more than ever our democracy needs a trustworthy outlet

Contribute
Contributors

Grand Canyon gap in America today

Dave Anderson

Chief Justice John Roberts and Chief Justice Roger Taney are Twins– separated by only 165 years

Stephen E. Herbits

Conservatives attacking Americans’ First Amendment rights

Steve Corbin

To advance racial equity, policy makers must move away from the "Black and Brown" discourse

Julio A. Alicea

Policymakers must address worsening civil unrest post Roe

Sarah K. Burke

Video: How to salvage U.S. democracy from the "tyranny of the minority"

Our Staff
latest News

The American school meal debate: It all comes down to food as market goods or public goods

C.Anne Long
9h

It’s time to retire Calvinism

Debilyn Molineaux
9h

Podcast: On democracy and its current torments

Our Staff
9h

America’s greatest resource- Education

William Natbony
29 September

The Carter Center and Team Democracy unite to advance candidate principles for trusted elections

Ken Powley
29 September

There is no magic pill for postpartum depression

Priya Iyer
28 September
Videos
Video: Expert baffled by Trump contradicting legal team

Video: Expert baffled by Trump contradicting legal team

Our Staff
Video: Do white leaders hinder black aspirations?

Video: Do white leaders hinder black aspirations?

Our Staff
Video: How to prepare for student loan repayments returning

Video: How to prepare for student loan repayments returning

Our Staff
Video: The history of Labor Day

Video: The history of Labor Day

Our Staff
Video: Trump allies begin to flip as prosecutions move forward

Video: Trump allies begin to flip as prosecutions move forward

Our Staff
Video Rewind: Trans-partisan practices and the "superpower of respect"

Video Rewind: Trans-partisan practices and the "superpower of respect"

Our Staff
Podcasts

Podcast: On democracy and its current torments

Our Staff
9h

Podcast: Is reunification still possible?

Our Staff
27 September

Podcast: All politics is local

Our Staff
22 September

Podcast: How states hold fair elections

Our Staff
14 September
Recommended
The American school meal debate: It all comes down to food as market goods or public goods

The American school meal debate: It all comes down to food as market goods or public goods

State
It’s time to retire Calvinism

It’s time to retire Calvinism

Contributors
Podcast: On democracy and its current torments

Podcast: On democracy and its current torments

Podcasts
America’s greatest resource- Education

America’s greatest resource- Education

Big Picture
Grand Canyon gap in America today

Grand Canyon gap in America today

Elections
The Carter Center and Team Democracy unite to advance candidate principles for trusted elections

The Carter Center and Team Democracy unite to advance candidate principles for trusted elections

Big Picture