Threats sparked by disinformation could spark real world violence in Georgia, activists say
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Source: ABC
A spike in disinformation about the election process in Georgia has prompted online threats against officials, poll workers and campaign staff that activists fear could lead to real-world violence.
The pivotal runoff races in the state, slated for Jan. 5, hold the power of the Senate in the balance and come in the wake of a deeply divisive election cycle. Georgia went for a Democrat in the presidential race by a slim margin, prompting unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud and attacks on Brad Raffensperger, the Republican secretary of state, who stood by the integrity of the process.
Researchers from Fair Fight Action, an activist group that promotes voter participation in Georgia and is chaired by Stacey Abrams, have tracked a large increase in disinformation related to the state's elections as conspiracy theories about the vote count promoted by President Donald Trump and his supporters have run rampant on social media.
The post-election spike of disinformation and the consumption by Georgia voters of disinformation has been "incredibly high,” said Fair Fight Action CEO Lauren Groh-Wargo on a recent press call organized by the group.
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/threats-sparked-disinformation-spark-real-world-violence-georgia/story?id=74868491
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