Michigan urges citizens to report neighbors for ‘election misinformation’
To "save democracy," the State of Michigan is urging citizens to report their neighbors to authorities for “election misinformation."
A notice from the Michigan Bureau of Elections posted to the Secretary of State’s website is telling voters that any misinformation about the upcoming elections or issues on the ballot “is a serious threat.”
“The act of spreading misinformation about the election process, voter rights, or even an issue on the ballot is a serious threat to election security. These efforts – be they foreign, domestic, partisan, or simply malicious – are designed to create mistrust in our elections process and are damaging to a healthy democracy,” the memo says.
It went on to add that “countering harmful misinformation” is important, and again invoked election security and democracy.
“Counteracting harmful misinformation by knowing the truth is critical to not only ensuring our elections are a secure and accurate reflection of the will of the people, but to the survival of our democratic process.”
The document warned that AI technology may play a role in election misinformation through deepfakes (digitally manipulated images and videos) and “fake comments.”
The Michigan government encourages voters who want to know the truth to visit its website, along with what it clais are other “trusted, verified, nonpartisan” sources, directing readers to click on Snopes, FactCheck.org, and PolitiFact. All three “fact-checking” websites, particularly the Soros-funded PolitiFact, are known to be highly partisan and often misleading.
“Do your part!” the election misinformation notice continued. “Just as election officials have a duty to detect election misinformation and quickly provide correct information based on the law, voters have a responsibility to proactively seek out reliable sources of information and encourage productive and honest dialogue.”
The Michigan government then instructed voters how to report “inaccurate information.”
“If you see misleading or inaccurate information regarding voting or elections in Michigan, please report it — and include an image if possible — to Misinformation@Michigan.gov.”
‘Hold people accountable’ for misinformation
In a separate document, the Secretary of State angrily blamed election misinformation on “countless partisans, grifters, and other opportunists here at home who are more effectively creating the same chaos and doubt by hacking the minds of American citizens.”
The memo asked citizens to save democracy by “[c]alling out misinformation when they see it and insisting that we hold people accountable for spreading lies about elections.”
Democracy Ambassadors
The Federalist reports that, last month, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson launched a “Democracy Ambassador” campaign for Michiganders who want to become “trusted” spreaders of 2024 election “facts.”
“Democracy is a team sport,” Secretary Benson said in a press release. “No matter where you live or who you vote for, our system relies on everyone knowing the facts about our elections. By serving as Democracy Ambassadors, Michigan citizens can get accurate, nonpartisan information, squash misinformation before it spreads, and serve as trusted messengers within their communities. Together we can strengthen everyone’s trust and faith in our secure elections this year and into the future.”
