Manitoba’s chief electoral officer calls for legal crackdown on spread of election disinformation

Posted on October 28, 2024 by Peggy

Manitoba’s chief electoral officer is calling for a legal crackdown on spreading disinformation about provincial elections, including the conduct of election officials and electronic vote-counting machines.

In her annual report released on Monday, Shipra Verma says the deliberate spread of false information intended to mislead voters is a threat to democracy.

The provincial Elections Act already bans the dissemination of false information about candidates, and forbids people from impersonating election officials.

Penalties can range up to a $10,000 fine and a year in jail.

Verma says the law should be expanded to also ban, during the pre-election period, objectively false information about election officials, the equipment used in elections, the electoral process and more.

The report has been tabled in the legislature, but there was no immediate response from the government.

“The deliberate spread of false information intended to mislead voters is a threat to democracy, eroding trust in elections and interfering with voters’ ability to understand and participate in political processes,” the report reads.

“As false information spreads rapidly through digital media, it often becomes misinformation, shared by individuals unaware of its accuracy, further complicating efforts to maintain a fair electoral environment.”