QUIZ - Elections edition

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In the final 72 hours leading up to voting day until polling stations close, threat actors may attempt to decrease voters’ willingness to vote, their ability to vote, or even how they vote.

Incidents occurring in this timeframe are particularly critical, given the limited time available to respond to any potential threat. Many countries apply electoral silence practices 24 hours ahead of elections. During that time, responding to such threats, particularly those targeting specific candidates or parties, might become tricky.

Additionally, certain incidents during this period may involve physical or offline components. Such components could include calls for actions, alerts of alleged terrorist threats, orchestrated pro-abstention demonstrations, or fake messaging, like this example.

Pay attention to these signals, be extra vigilant 72 hours before elections, and consult official, government sources for information.

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There are two main ways to affect people's ability to vote: by encouraging them not to vote at all or by getting them to cast invalid votes. Misleading messages can make voters either choose not to vote or accidentally submit invalid votes. Many elections have instances where invalid votes are promoted online. Sometimes, threat actors trick people into using fake ballots, leading to invalid votes. They also spread photos of fake ballots to create distrust in the safety of elections. Other times, they persuade voters to cast invalid votes as a form of protest. These actions aim to undermine citizens' trust in the electoral process.

The effects of these tactics can be severe, causing confusion and reducing voter turnout. To protect yourself, always verify information from reliable sources and be cautious of sensational or suspicious claims. Trust official channels for accurate election information.

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Threat actors want to control the information flow and set the agenda on certain key topics during the electoral period. They look for topics that are divisive and lead to heated discussions, such as LGBTIQ+ people’s rights, Europe’s support to Ukraine, or literally anything that might take your attention away from the elections.

Threat actors use various tactics to distract you. For example, they escalate disputes with falsehoods, conspiracy theories, and narratives artificially spread by bots and inauthentic accounts. In this case, they are using disinformation about certain identity groups, for example LGBTIQ+ people. By doing so, they paint a picture of a corrupt, decadent West – sometimes called ‘Gayropa’ – that is opposed to the traditional values and protection of natural families represented by Russia.

A second tactic is to flood the information space with confusing and contradictory information known as a ‘firehose of falsehoods’. This method seeks to dominate the information environment with an overabundance of misleading, false, and manipulative narratives. The Kremlin often uses this tool. For example, pro-Kremlin outlets have used it to spread lies about the downing of flight MH-17 and the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam.

Remember, democracy is all about debate and discussion. We have the right to have our opinions and disagree on certain topics. What is out of order is spreading lies, tricking the algorithms, and artificially boosting certain worldviews in your news feed, particularly with emotionally charged content.

Read more about different techniques used to sway your opinions in our ‘Flooding the information space’ article.

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You should always verify information with multiple sources. Sometimes, threat actors create fake versions of real news sites (like Bild, 20minutes, Ansa, The Guardian, or RBC Ukraine) to spread false articles, videos, and polls. They do this by buying web addresses that look like the real ones and copying their design to trick people. This technique is called typosquatting. Read more about cloned websites in the investigation conducted by EU Disinfo Lab, dubbed ‘Doppelganger’.

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‘EP Today’ (short for ‘European Parliament today’) is a self-proclaimed ‘monthly news magazine for the European Parliament’. Sure enough, with a name including one of the major institutions of the European Union, together with a cursive logo in a ring of 12 stars on a blue background, you may get the impression that this website is affiliated with the European Parliament. Except: ‘EP Today’ uses the name of the European Parliament in a misleading way and without any legal authorisation. The European Parliament contacted ‘EP Today’ in September 2019 regarding the unauthorised use of the institution’s name and suggested ways to rectify the situation and stop misleading the public.

On its ‘about’ page, ‘EP Today’ states it is ‘designed only for the MEPs to write article about issues which they think are currently important and need attention of all their colleagues and other policy makers.’ However, more than 99% of articles that appear on eptoday.com are not from ‘EP Today’. Since 24 October 2018, 47% of the articles are word-for-word copies of articles from RT.com, a Russian state-affiliated media outlet sanctioned by the EU. Often, the entire homepage is filled with exact copies of Russia Today articles. The same article can even appear multiple times on the same page. It is an example of the ‘information laundering’ of content from state-affiliated media, such as RT or Sputnik. Visit the Techniques section on the EUvsDisinfo Learn page to find more about other manipulative techniques.

Both the website and its social media accounts are now suspended.

We covered EP Today in one of our articles

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First, always check the legitimacy of ‘leaked’ information. With current tools it is easy to make fake information look very real. Secondly, disinformation based on gender is a common way to undermine legitimacy or imply corruption. Techniques used to affect political parties rely mainly on undermining specific candidates, often through direct, personal attacks in order to affect both electoral campaigns and political aspirations (e.g. allegations of corruption; reputation scandals; use of gender, sexual orientation, or race, etc.). The second technique involves disputing the independence of political parties, for example though allegations of interference or, for example, links to private entities. One prominent example in which FIMI actors amplified attacks is the case of gender-based disinformation against German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock when she ran as a candidate in the German Federal Elections in 2021. You can read more about this technique in our article, ‘Go after the leaders’.

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In this case, threat actors targeted the cost to Europe of providing support to Ukraine. To so do, they made up a story that they knew could make people angry. They used various techniques to spread the story as widely as possible. Here you can read more about this example.

Another technique they use is to recycle and exaggerate fringe or minor content from the past to distract from current policy discussions and create negative views about candidates, parties, and the entire election process. These campaigns set the stage for more serious incidents just before or after the vote, including calls to boycott elections or organise protests. Their goal is to undermine trust in democracy, create discord in society, and pit people against each other.

Before spreading this kind of information, check if your local fact-checkers have debunked it already. You may want to consult the Elections 24 Check or your local, certified fact-checking organisation.

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Closed messaging apps like Telegram can be used to spread false information. This is especially problematic because there is no moderation, and news can spread widely and anonymously. Threat actors can begin setting up these operations months in advance to hide their connection to the elections. They promote these channels by pretending to be ‘independent journalists’ or experts to grab your attention and build their audience. As the elections approach, these channels spread disinformation, often via shocking, exclusive content, and invite you to share it.

Read how this operation was conducted ahead of the Spanish elections in our 2^nd Report on FIMI Threats (page 28).

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The answer to this question is tricky. Bomb alerts are serious and you should not take them lightly. Regarding public safety, you should always follow the advice of police and security agencies. During elections, these services are on high alert to protect citizens from threats, such as bomb alerts.

You should also be aware that bomb threats and conspiracy theories that are spread on social media, forums, or shady websites are commonly used to discourage people from voting. Threat actors try to scare citizens with such false claims. This is an easy and cheap way to disrupt the voting process. It's natural to feel scared by these threats. But before sharing them with others, check the source of the news and verify if someone might be trying to scare you.

Don't let them succeed. Follow official advice and exercise your right to vote.

Find out more about the tactic of sowing trust and discontent ahead of elections.