Analyzing Information-Based Threats to Election Integrity

Dr. Holly Ann Garnett’s work on information-based threats examines how disinformation affects the deliberative space of elections. Her research focuses on the ways false or misleading information can shape public attitudes, reinforce existing beliefs, mobilize supporters, and shut out political opponents. Rather than treating electoral disinformation as a narrow technology problem, her work situates it within the broader political and institutional environment in which elections take place. 

A key insight from Dr. Garnett’s research is that the international consensus around the need for accurate, accessible, and open electoral information has begun to weaken. Some political actors, including those in long-standing democracies, may see disinformation as useful rather than as a shared problem to be solved. This creates challenges for election management bodies, which may lack the mandate, independence, or resources to monitor and respond to disinformation effectively over the long term.

Dr. Garnett’s work suggests that legal or technological fixes alone are not enough to address information-based threats. Election laws and regulations can play a role, but they may be difficult to enact, enforce, or protect from misuse by undemocratic actors. Her research therefore emphasizes resilience: strengthening election management bodies, civil society organizations, and other democratic institutions so they can maintain public confidence, support trustworthy electoral information, and respond more effectively to evolving threats.