Democracy Dies in Darkness

Conservatives spread false claims on Twitter about electoral fraud as Iowans prepare to caucus

The episode showcases social media’s hands-off approach to disinformation and the possible perils ahead in a divisive election season

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February 3, 2020 at 9:07 p.m. EST
Supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) stand in front of an Iowa flag at a recent rally in Sioux City. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post)

DES MOINES — The claims of electoral fraud were false, proved untrue by public data and the state’s top election official.

That didn’t stop them from going viral, as right-wing activists took to Twitter over the weekend to spread specious allegations of malfeasance on the eve of Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses.