How to check for misinformation in election-related mailers

This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.

When Heidi Lepak got a mailer from what she thought was the Hillsborough County Republican Party earlier this year, she was relieved.

Lepak, 80, a registered Republican, had been busy with doctor’s appointments for her disabled husband and hadn’t had time to research candidates in Florida’s primary. The mailer gave a recommended slate.

She filled out her mail-in ballot according to the recommendations and sent it in on July 15. A few days later, the county party released a public notice about a “fake voter guide” that included a list of candidates different than those the party supported.

Lepak said she felt duped. She contacted her supervisor of elections office, but said she was told her vote had already been counted.

“I felt like I had the rug pulled out from under me,” Lepak said.

Ahead of November’s general election, voters across Florida are opening their mailboxes to candidate flyers and other advertisements and getting text messages from campaigns. Figuring out how to spot misleading or deceptive claims or disinformation can feel daunting.

The Tampa Bay Times talked to experts about how voters can scrutinize election-related material ahead of the Nov. 5 election. Here are their tips.

Check the source

A good place to start is to look for disclaimers that provide information on who sent the mailer, said Amy Keith, executive director of the nonpartisan advocacy group Common Cause Florida.

Often, the disclaimers are found in small print at the bottom of flyers. Voters can search online for information on the political committees named in the disclaimers.

The mailer that Lepak received included the party’s logo, but the disclaimer showed that it was paid for by the Make America Great Again political committee headquartered in Venice.

Hillsborough County Republican Party chairperson Carmen Edmonds estimated that about 50,000 voters in the county may have received the same guide Lepak received, which Edmonds said recommended some candidates that were more right-wing than the candidates the party actually supported. The practice of sending out such guides is becoming “all too common,” she said.

Do your own research

When Amy Sherman, senior correspondent with PolitiFact, receives a political mailer, the first thing she asks herself is: What is it trying to make me feel?

If the mailer seems slanted against a candidate or an amendment or uses partial quotes, voters should do their own research by going to trusted sources that present the facts, Sherman said. If the voter can identify who sent the mailer, there are websites such as OpenSecrets that can show if the group that sent the mailer is partisan and who it is funded by.

Sherman said that trusted news sources that let the candidates speak for themselves can also be useful resources.

The Tampa Bay Times will post a voter guide next month that includes responses from candidates in their own words about their stances on important issues. (Here’s the guide from the primary election.)

Ask your local elections office

If a mailer or website provides information on voting deadlines or other requirements for casting a ballot, voters should confirm the information with their local supervisor of elections office, said Keith with Common Cause.

A spokesperson for the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections said the office had not heard of any misleading mailers this election cycle. But it’s paid for online ads leading up to the election directing voters to the agency’s website for answers to their questions.

“I am constantly putting the message out that our office is a trusted source of information. That is why we have the .gov website address — so voters can see that it is an official information source,” elections supervisor Craig Latimer wrote in an email. “Please, check with our office and get the right information about voting and elections.”

How to report complaints about election material

Just because a mailer may be misleading doesn’t mean it violates election law. But if a voter does see a red flag such as a missing disclaimer, they can contact the Florida Elections Commission to file a complaint.

Edmonds said she thinks the mailer Lepak received may have crossed legal lines by using the Republican Party’s county and state logos.

“In Florida State statute, unless you get permission from a party, you’re not allowed to use any replica or likeness of their logo on a mailer,” Edmonds said.

Mark Ard, internal affairs director for the Florida Department of State, said Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Office of Election Crimes and Security has received “at least one complaint” about misleading voter guides being sent out this year. He said the state is reviewing the complaint for possible violations of Florida election law. When asked, Ard did not clarify if the complaint received was about the mailer received by Lepak and others.