The Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI want voters to be educated about misinformation regarding the time, place and manner of voting in the state.
They announced Tuesday that they are partnering with the Justice Department’s Public Integrity section to launch the National Voter Disinformation Initiative. The aim is to identify potential voter suppression schemes nationwide — including those using social media to disseminate disinformation — that may be federally prosecuted.
“Plan now to determine when, where, and how you will vote. Don’t let misinformation keep you from exercising your right to vote!” U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur said in a statement.
Here are some tips to avoid being misinformed:
- Seek out election information from trustworthy sources. Who produced the content and what is the intent of the content?
- Report suspicious, false or inconsistent posts about voting and elections to the social media companies where they were posted.
- Report disinformation about the manner, time and place of voting in Maryland to the Baltimore Field Office of the FBI at 410-265-8080 or through the FBI’s website.
- Know when and how you will vote.
WTOP has created a comprehensive guide on voting in Maryland.
- Election 2020 DC voter guide: What to know
- Election 2020 Virginia voter guide: What to know
- 2020 presidential debates: What you need to know
- FAQ: What you need to know about mail-in voting
- Have a question about 2020 elections? Ask WTOP’s elections team
- Local politics and election news
