U.S. election: authorities warn of large-scale Russian disinformation campaign
Ahead of voting in the U.S. presidential election begins on November 5, U.S. authorities have issued a warning about a large-scale disinformation campaign originating from Moscow.
That is according to The Guardian, Ukrinform reports.
A joint statement by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the FBI, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) indicates that Russia is a primary threat, spreading false claims about vote manipulation in key states.
“Russia is the most active threat,” the security agencies said on Monday. “These efforts risk inciting violence, including against election officials,” they added, noting the efforts are expected to intensify through election day and in the following weeks.
One example cited is a video alleging mass election fraud in Arizona in favor of Kamala Harris. Arizona’s Secretary of State has denounced this video as entirely fabricated.
Previous Russian disinformation claims, such as the alleged destruction of Trump ballots in Pennsylvania and attacks against Harris, have already been identified and debunked.
The publication highlights that success in swing states is key to winning the White House for rivals Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, and those states have previously been the focus of unsupported accusations of election fraud.
As reported by Ukrinform, recent polls show Harris's lead over Trump narrowing by one percentage point in the final week.
The U.S. presidential election is taking place on November 5.