ELECTION INTEGRITYProtecting Our Elections Against Tech-Enabled Disinformation
Electoral administrators around the world are dealing with a radically changed democratic landscape. Concerns focus on the pervasive presence of disinformation and false narratives, the rise of new technologies such as generative artificial intelligence, occasional madcap conspiracy theories, threats to electoral workers, and the need to maintain citizens’ confidence in electoral outcomes.
In 1922, Mr. Norman J. Trotter, from the Pappinbarra region of New South Wales, wrote to the then federal Treasurer, the Hon Earle Page MP, complaining that the general election was being held when there wasn’t a full moon.
Trotter pointed out the safety implications of transporting ballot boxes over mountainous roads, on horseback, with insufficient illumination!
A century on, electoral administrators around the world are dealing with a radically changed democratic landscape. Concerns about moonlight—or its absence—have been replaced by the pervasive presence of disinformation and false narratives, the rise of new technologies such as generative artificial intelligence, occasional madcap conspiracy theories, threats to electoral workers, and the need to maintain citizens’ confidence in electoral outcomes.
Together, these dramatic changes will demand the ongoing vigilance of legislators, regulators and civil society. Increased focus and resourcing on this continually emerging space can harness the opportunities it presents while lessening the potential negative effects already being experienced.
The Australian Electoral Commission has been remarkably successful in maintaining the confidence of the Australian people: survey results show persistently high levels of trust in our operations, with nine out of 10 Australians expressing a high degree of satisfaction. That assurance is indispensable when the democratic legitimacy of governments rests on trust in electoral outcomes—the foundation on which all other actions of democratic government rests.
Yet maintaining these results may become increasingly complex with the rapidly expanding use of new technologies and an ever-evolving information ecosystem.
The attempted manipulation of information isn’t new. In 1675, King Charles II tried to close London coffee houses because he was worried about false information being peddled in those places where people gathered to talk politics. Modern communications, including the ubiquitous use of mobile phones and social media platforms, has turbocharged the development and spread of information—both accurate and false. This has significantly affected all aspects of elections, from campaigning to the way they are conducted.
The relatively recent advent of generative AI heralds a potentially new epoch in electoral management. Globally, democracies are coming to terms with this new technology, and jurisdictions are trying different approaches from outright bans, through to mandatory declarations on messaging, and voluntary codes.
