INDIANAPOLIS — Many people will be using absentee or mail in-ballots this year due to the pandemic.
The FBI says it’s especially important to not trust everything you see or read on social media as the votes or being tabulated.
“It may take additional time to count all the ballots, so I’d say that’s an opportunity for foreign actors to assert themselves and give information about who’s winning and who’s losing and insert themselves to violate the election process,” said Paul Keenan, FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge
The FBI already has evidence of foreign adversaries trying to exploit the social and political polarization in the country, but the FBI says that’s more of a national threat
“Locally here, it’s more of the criminal violations, but we are the Federal Bureau of Investigations, so we have to keep an eye out for foreign interference whether it’s happening here or on the internet,” Keenan said.
But in Indiana, criminal violations are the greatest election security threat
“The single largest concern I have is that everyone knows when and where to vote,” said Ben LaBuz, FBI Indianapolis 2020 elections crime coordinator. “States have the responsibility of making sure the votes are tabulated, it’s not the FBI or federal government’s role, but what I worry about is misinformation going to voters to prevent them from being able to vote, giving the wrong day, the wrong time and wrong place.”
America has only ever had peaceful transfers of power. Keenan says he believes that tradition will continue.
“(The) American people want an open, honest, and fair election, and that’s what we’re here to help provide. And we’ll leave it at that for now.
The FBI continues to stress the importance of America’s continued faith in the democratic process, to get information from multiple sources and be discerning.
“Every year, Americans pick their leaders and make their voices heard through elections,” said Calvin Shivers, assistant director for the Criminal Investigative Division. “Those elections must remain free and fair to ensure voters' voices are truly heard. As Americans get ready to vote, the FBI is asking each citizen to remain vigilant and report any suspected criminal scheme targeting voters to the FBI immediately.”
Election crimes fall into four categories
- Ballot fraud
- Campaign finance violations
- Patronage offenses
- Civil rights violations, such as voter suppression or voter intimidation
State and localities have their own process and laws for managing elections and election laws but depending upon the severity of the crime, it may fall under a federal offense.
Examples of federal election crimes include, but are not limited to:
- Giving false information when registering to vote
- Voting more than once
- Changing ballot markings or otherwise tampering with ballots
- Compensating voters
- Threatening voters with physical or financial harm
- Intentionally lying about the time, manner, or place of an election to prevent qualified voters from voting
- Contributions from foreign or other prohibited sources
- Use of campaign funds for personal or unauthorized purposes
Voter Suppression
Voter suppression is a federal crime. It is the action of intentionally deceiving qualified voters to prevent them from voting.
Bad actors use various methods to spread disinformation about voting, such as social media platforms, texting, or peer-to-peer messaging applications on smartphones. These people or entities may provide misleading information about the time, manner, or place of voting. This can include inaccurate election dates or false claims about voting qualifications or methods, such as false information suggesting that one may vote by text, which is not allowed in any jurisdiction.
To ensure you don't fall victim to voter suppression, make a plan for when, where and how you will vote. You can find this information at eac.gov and usa.gov/how-to-vote.
Scam PACs
Making political contributions can be a way to exercise your First Amendment rights. But some individuals and groups soliciting contributions are solely attempting to scam someone.
The FBI assesses that seniors are at a high risk of being targeted.
Scam PACs are fraudulent political action committees designed to reroute political contributions for personal financial gain, according to the FBI. This is a federal crime. Signs that a PAC is a scam include the PAC and its website don't exist and the phone number is unreachable or out of service.
The FBI recommends the following to protecting your right to vote:
- Know when, where, and how you will vote.
- Seek out election information from trustworthy sources, verify who produced the content, and consider their intent.
- Report potential election crimes—such as disinformation about the manner, time, or place of voting—to the FBI.
- If appropriate, make use of in-platform tools offered by social media companies for reporting suspicious posts that appear to be spreading false or inconsistent information about voting and elections.
- Research individuals and entities to whom you are making political donations. If something seems suspicious, reconsider the donation.
The FBI encourages the public to report information concerning suspicious or criminal activity to their local FBI field office.
The following is information for the Indianapolis office: 8825 Nelson B Klein Pkwy, Indianapolis, IN 46250. The public can call (317) 595-4000.