Summary of Misinformation's Limited Impact On The Midterms | NPR Politics

00:00:00 - 00:15:00

This podcast discusses how social media is promoting conspiracy theories about election fraud. Bond says that while it is too early to say the fever has broken, election officials are still feeling hopeful.

• 00:00:00 The midterm elections were a success despite fears of election fraud and misinformation. Shannon Bond from NPR's Disinformation Team discusses how the unfounded conspiracy theories about Sharpiegate in 2020 played a role in the election's outcome.
• 00:05:00 The article discusses how the Maricopa County Elections Department reacted to misinformation during the 2018 midterm elections. Officials said that there was no evidence of voter fraud and that voters who ran into issues were able to solve them. This deterred some protesters from engaging in violence.
• 00:10:00 NPR's coverage of the midterm elections found that there are differences between how President Donald Trump and other candidates have been treated by social media platforms, with Trump being more easily discredited and unable to launch conspiracies. While some fringe candidates have conceded, Trump has not done so until recently. NPR also reports that more concessions have been made by election denying candidates this cycle than was assumed, though there are still a few outliers.
• 00:15:00 In this podcast, Shannon Bond from NPR's disinformation team discusses how some people on social media are promoting conspiracy theories about election fraud. Bond says that while it is too early to say the fever has broken, election officials are still feeling hopeful.