Threat Actors Exploiting Election Fraud Claims to Incite Violence
Recently, the Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin warning about the potential for threat actors to use claims of election fraud to incite violence. The bulletin, obtained by CBS News, highlighted the dangers posed by individuals calling for violence in response to election fraud narratives, particularly targeting election officials and populations perceived as threatening the integrity of the 2024 general election.
According to the bulletin, online forums used by domestic violent extremists are filled with threats of violence against election officials and infrastructure in an attempt to prevent perceived fraud or retaliate against it. Many of these posts are promoting narratives related to election fraud, such as issues with mail-in ballots or electronic voting machines.
Some individuals motivated by these narratives have expressed their intent online to intimidate voters or election staff through surveillance of election infrastructure or personnel, including by armed individuals. Additionally, there are online users encouraging violence against ideological opponents who support mail-in voting and promoting methods to sabotage ballot drop boxes. Calls for violence against local election officials in response to fraud allegations are also prevalent on these forums.
Federal investigators believe that various factors could heighten threat actors’ perceptions of election fraud, including a contested or close election, variations in state election laws impacting the release of results, unforeseen events delaying vote counting, or technological or administrative errors in vote counting processes.
The bulletin comes in the wake of incidents such as ballot boxes being set on fire in Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington, resulting in the destruction of hundreds of ballots. In Phoenix, Arizona, mail-in ballots were damaged when a U.S. Postal Service mailbox was set ablaze. These incidents are currently under investigation.
Furthermore, there have been reports of foreign actors, such as those from Russia, manufacturing and spreading videos purporting to show mail-in ballots being destroyed in an effort to sow doubts about the integrity of the U.S. election and create divisions among Americans. Intelligence and law enforcement agencies have been monitoring the situation closely.
As the U.S. remains in a “heightened” threat environment, the Department of Homeland Security continues to advise federal, state, and local partners to stay vigilant against potential threats. The public is encouraged to report any suspicious activity to local authorities to ensure the safety and security of the upcoming elections and beyond.
