Conspiracy theorists who believe Donald Trump won the 2020 U.S. election are organizing efforts to monitor and film polling places in U.S. swing states, as revealed by documents released by Distributed Denial of Secrets. These individuals are aiming to prevent what they claim will be widespread fraud in the upcoming election on November 5, fueling concerns among civil rights groups about potential voter suppression.
The organizers, mainly active on the messaging app Telegram, are calling for volunteers to watch polls during specific hours, take note of suspicious activity, and share video footage with local law enforcement agencies. The demands for poll watchers are rooted in the false claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election made by Trump and his allies.
While participants in these discussions assert a global conspiracy to alter the election result with fake ballots, there is no independent evidence to support these claims. Voting rights groups warn that activist poll watching could potentially lead to voter suppression by intimidating legitimate voters.
The League of Women Voters and other organizations are preparing legal action to protect voters from potential harassment and intimidation at ballot boxes. The Justice Department has also warned that monitoring ballot boxes could constitute voter intimidation, which is not protected by the First Amendment.
The rise of conspiracy theories and activist monitoring on platforms like Telegram brings concern about disinformation and potential voter intimidation as the 2022 election approaches. With the possibility of aggressive poll watchers and livestreamed footage at voting locations, efforts are being made to ensure that voters can cast their ballots without interference or intimidation.
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