On the eve of the U.S. election, federal law enforcement and election security agencies have debunked two instances of Russian disinformation aimed at undermining confidence in the voting process. The efforts of foreign actors have been highlighted as potentially inciting violence against election officials, according to a joint statement issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI, and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
The statement pointed to a recent article and video posted by Russian actors that falsely claimed U.S. officials in swing states were planning to commit fraud and depicted an individual alleging election fraud in Arizona. U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Russia is engaged in a wide-ranging influence operation to sow discord among American voters and undermine confidence in the electoral process.
The statement also warned that Russia is likely to release additional "manufactured content" on election day and remains the most active foreign threat to U.S. elections. Iran has also been identified as a significant foreign influence threat, with attempts to interfere in the election through hack-and-leak operations and the creation of fake news sites.
The efforts of Russia and Iran to influence the U.S. election have been met with skepticism and denial from these countries, despite evidence presented by U.S. officials. False videos and articles promoting disinformation have been refuted by election officials, with the Arizona Secretary of State's office already debunking the content of the Arizona video.
As election day approaches, concerns about potential violence and foreign interference continue to be at the forefront of discussions surrounding the integrity of the voting process. Security has been heightened at polling stations and other locations across the U.S. in anticipation of potential unrest.