Local Officials Confront ‘Daunting’ Flood of Election Rumors

Local officials face an increasing barrage of online disinformation ahead of the midterm election that they say they’re ill-prepared to fight.

Foreign adversaries such as China are making a final push to discourage voting and undermine trust in the election through social media posts. Jen Easterly, head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, called threats from foreign actors a “significant concern” during an event this week.

CISA counters some disinformation, but much of the responsibility falls on the shoulders of local election administrators. Those officials say they need more money from the federal government to hire staff to debunk ...