Election 2020: Digital democracy, disinformation, and Black voters

The 2020 election is awash with misinformation, disinformation, and social media manipulation. It is crucial to counter these efforts to ensure a fair contest and public confidence in the election results. This challenge is particularly urgent for Black Americans, who U.S. intelligence officials confirm were targeted by disinformation campaigns in 2016 and are targets again this year. As Election Day nears, what more can be done to ensure Americans receive accurate information about the candidates and the election processes?

On October 28, Governance Studies at Brookings and Howard University cohosted a webinar focusing on Black voters, disinformation, and digital democracy in 2020. Expert panelists discussed how misinformation is disseminated, what campaigns and election officials can do to support targeted groups, and why marginalized communities and their rights should be prioritized when developing new rules for communication technology used in political and governance processes.

Please submit questions for speakers by emailing [email protected] or via Twitter at @BrookingsGov by using #DigitalDemocracy.