FBI Warns ‘Foreign Actors’ Could Use Lengthy Time For Mail-In Election Results To Undermine Credibility

Topline

The FBI is warning that “foreign actors and cybercriminals” could use what might be a lengthy period to determine the winner of the 2020 presidential election, because of the increase in mail-in voting, to spread disinformation about the election results, possibly launching an online effort to question the legitimacy of the election, which polling and prediction models show Democrat Joe Biden is likely to win.

Key Facts

Critical Quote

“The increased use of mail-in ballots due to COVID-19 protocols could leave officials with incomplete results on election night,” the FBI and CISA said Tuesday. “Foreign actors and cybercriminals could exploit the time required to certify and announce elections’ results by disseminating disinformation that includes reports of voter suppression, cyberattacks targeting election infrastructure, voter or ballot fraud, and other problems intended to convince the public of the elections’ illegitimacy.”

Key Background

The amount of mail-in ballots being used for 2020 is skyrocketing compared to previous elections, with many states increasing accessibility to mail ballots because of the coronavirus pandemic. The rising use of mail-in ballots has led to concerns about the impact it could have on election results. President Donald Trump and some Republicans have claimed, without evidence, that mail-in voting leads to widespread voter fraud. Some Democrats have worried about deadlines for submitting ballots and how much time it could take ballots to reach their destination through the U.S. Postal Service, possibly leaving votes uncounted because they will be rejected for arriving late.

Tangent

Concerns are growing among many that Trump may refuse to leave office if he loses the election, which could lead to a crisis unprecedented in U.S. history. At a campaign rally on Saturday, Trump suggested that, “maybe I’ll sign an executive order that you cannot have him [Biden] as your president.”

Further Reading

More Than 550,000 Primary Absentee Ballots Rejected In 2020, Far Outpacing 2016 (NPR)

Bernie Sanders: U.S. Must Prepare For ‘Nightmare Scenario’ Of Trump Delegitimizing Election Results (Forbes)

Trump Threatens To Issue Executive Order Preventing Biden From Being Elected President (Forbes)