DADE CITY, Fla. — As campaign season intensifies, so do concerns about election misinformation spreading across social media.
From misleading political posts to outright false claims about voting procedures, election officials say voters should be cautious before believing or sharing information they see online.
Watch report from Erik Waxler
Pasco County voter Vanessa Phillips said her reaction to questionable posts is to verify the information before accepting it as fact.
"My first thought is to Google it and try and find a trusted news source," Phillips said.
Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley is encouraging voters to take that same approach.
Corley recently warned residents that misinformation and disinformation are likely to circulate before and after Election Day, particularly on social media.
"Sometimes text messages or posts will say this election is not open to a certain political party, for example, when it is," Corley said. "Or election day has been changed from Tuesday to Wednesday. Spoiler. That's not true."
Corley said false claims about election dates, polling locations, voter eligibility and election procedures have become increasingly common during campaign season.
"It's been said that the internet brought us together. But unfortunately, social media can tear us apart," he said.
Tampa Bay 28 political analyst Susan MacManus said election supervisors across Florida are facing a growing challenge as misinformation spreads more quickly than ever.
She said misinformation has existed for years, but artificial intelligence has dramatically increased both the volume and sophistication of false content online.
"In fact, there have been a number of polls lately that clearly show around 85% of Americans are very, very worried about misinformation, particularly as it relates to AI," MacManus said.
One of the biggest challenges is the speed at which false information can spread. A single social media post can reach thousands of people within minutes, making it difficult for election officials to correct inaccurate claims before they gain traction.
"Election officials have to make the process work, so they are very, very concerned right now that these naysayers and ne'er-do-wells will use social media to create controversy and concerns about the whole voting process," MacManus said.
Whether misinformation originates from foreign adversaries seeking to undermine confidence in elections or from domestic sources attempting to influence voters, Corley said the solution is the same: verify information before accepting it as true.
"Just because you see something online, it may seem sincere or accurate, just stop and take a moment to use some common sense," Corley said. "Say to yourself, 'Does this seem really accurate?' And if not, you need to do some fact checking."
Corley encourages voters with questions about voting or election procedures to contact the Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Office directly rather than relying on social media posts.
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