Michigan Secretary of State warns of bad actors seeking to “hack voters’ minds” on election misinformation

Washington — Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson warned Sunday of efforts by bad actors to “hack voters’ minds” to spread misinformation ahead of Election Day.

“We know that because our systems are secure, there are foreign, bad actors and adversaries to democracy on the global scale who will seek to potentially not hack our systems, but hack voters’ minds to spread falsehoods and misinformation,” Benson said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.” “Not just to sow seeds of distrust, but to diminish citizens’ confidence in the process and in their own voices.”

Benson, a Democrat, said the misinformation is being amplified because “if there is enough noise,” people may disengage altogether, noting that “that’s the goal” of those looking to sow distrust.

The Michigan secretary of state, who has also accused Elon Musk — a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump — of intentionally spreading false information about Michigan voters, said Sunday when asked about Musk’s intentions that “adversaries to democracy” are working to “create chaos” and distrust around the elections processes, “not just in Michigan but around the country.”

“So it’s incumbent upon all of us to look to trusted sources of information, like your local election official and use data to evaluate questions, as opposed to people who are running social media companies with particular agendas and who have a history in amplifying conspiracy theories and false information,” Benson said. She encouraged Michiganders to go to michigan.gov/electionfacts rather than to social media for trusted and accurate election information.

Early in-person voting began Saturday in Detroit, and more than a million people have returned absentee ballots in the state more than two weeks ahead of Election Day, Benson said, calling it a “great sign for an engaged electorate on both sides of the aisle.”

Benson said she would “without hesitation” enforce election certification if Trump wins, saying “that’s our job as professional election administrators, to make sure it’s easy to vote, hard to cheat, and that we all stand by the will of the people — whatever that may be.”

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican who also appeared on “Face the Nation” on Sunday, likewise expressed that he will follow the law. 

“I’m going to make sure that whoever wins this race, that is what gets certified,” Raffensperger said. “I’m going to do my job, and that’s what the people of Georgia have elected me to do.”

Raffensperger, who in 2021 resisted former President Donald Trump’s urging to “find” more than 11,000 votes and overturn the results of the election in the Peach State, outlined that the state has seen almost 1.4 million people vote early or who have accepted absentee ballots this year, noting that “we’re probably going to see a record turnout early voting.”

“Probably 65, maybe even 70% of all Georgians are going to vote that way, but they have a free will choice on how to vote,” Raffensperger said. He noted that the state has voter security measures such as photo ID and citizenship verifications. 

“I understand we’re very competitive,” Raffensperger added. “That’s why we’ve done everything since day one to make sure we have fast, accurate and secure elections for all my voters here in Georgia.”