Foreign Interference Threatens U.S. Election Integrity, Officials Warn

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By RFE/RL staff – Nov 05, 2024, 11:00 AM CST

U.S. intelligence and security agencies accuse Russia and Iran of intensifying disinformation campaigns to disrupt the 2024 presidential election.
These campaigns involve spreading false narratives, inciting violence, and undermining public confidence in the electoral process.
U.S. officials urge voters to seek information from trusted, official sources and remain vigilant against foreign influence operations.

U.S. intelligence and security officials have accused Russia and Iran of ramping up cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns to sow discord as Americans head to the polls on November 5 to vote in a tense presidential election.

Russia-linked influence actors “are manufacturing videos and creating fake articles to undermine the legitimacy of the election, instill fear in voters regarding the election process, and suggest Americans are using violence against each other due to political preferences,” said a statement issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI, and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on November 4.

“These efforts risk inciting violence, including against election officials,” it added.

U.S. intelligence agencies have warned for months of Russian government-backed efforts to influence the vote that pits former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, and his opponent, Democratic party nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.

Opinion polls ahead of Election Day say the race is too close to call, raising tensions as voters head to the polls after an acrimonious campaign.

Polls opened at 5 a.m. on November 5 in some eastern states, and will continue across the country, including in Alaska and Hawaii, until the evening hours in those far western U.S. states in a too-close-to-call battle Trump and Harris.

Highlighting an example of the disinformation tactics being used, the U.S. agencies said in the statement that Russian influence actors recently posted and amplified an article falsely claiming that U.S. officials across swing states plan to orchestrate election fraud using a range of tactics, such as ballot stuffing and cyberattacks.

They also said Russian influence actors manufactured and amplified a recent video that falsely depicted an interview with an individual claiming election fraud in Arizona, which involved creating fake overseas ballots and changing voter rolls to favor Harris.

The Arizona Secretary of State has already refuted the video’s claim as false.

While “Russia is the most active threat,” the statement said Iran also remains a “significant foreign influence threat” to the election.

“We have assessed that Iran has conducted malicious cyber activities to compromise former President Trump’s campaign,” the intelligence agencies said.

“Iranian influence actors may also seek to create fake media content intended to suppress voting or stoke violence, as they have done in past election cycles.”

The agencies urged voters to “seek out information from trusted, official sources, in particular state and local election officials” in light of the “continued influence efforts by foreign adversaries and the increasing volume of inauthentic content online.”

Both Tehran and Moscow have denied playing a role in any disinformation campaigns during the U.S. presidential election.

The outcome of the election may affect Ukraine more than any other foreign country.

The candidates have staked out two very different positions on support for Ukraine, whose defense against invading Russian troops is heavily dependent on U.S. military, financial, and diplomatic support.

Harris has said she would continue Biden’s policy of aiding Ukraine, clearly expressing the desire to see Russia defeated.

Trump has questioned U.S. support for Ukraine, saying Europe should be carrying the bulk of the burden in backing Kyiv against the Russian invasion, and has left NATO’s future in doubt.

By RFE/RL

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