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The Election Influence Operations Playbook, Part 1
Understanding Election Mis and Disinformation
The Election Influence Operations Playbook for State and Local Election Officials is part of a series of playbooks developed since 2017 by the Defending Digital Democracy Project (D3P) at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center to help election officials prepare for and respond to cyber and information attacks.
The Information Operations Playbook provides advice and guidance for election officials to assist them in better understanding, countering, and responding to influence operations. It is divided into three parts: Understanding Election Mis and Disinformation; The Mis/Disinformation Response Plan; and The Mis/Disinformation Response Scenario Plans (by request).
Part 1: Understanding Election Mis and Disinformation
This section of the Playbook provides an introduction to Influence Operations: what they are, who is carrying them out, why they can impact our elections, and how they work. Influence Operations (IO), also known as Information Operations, are a series of warfare tactics historically used to collect information, influence, or disrupt the decision making of an adversary. IO strategies intentionally disseminate information to manipulate public opinion and/or influence behavior. IO can involve a number of tactics, including spreading false information intentionally. This is known as “disinformation.”
Skilled influence operations often deliberately spread disinformation in highly public places like social media. This is done in the hope that people who have no connection to the operation will mistakenly share this disinformation. Inaccurate information spread in error without malicious intent is known as “misinformation.”
This playbook explores mis and disinformation incidents that specifically focus on elections operations and infrastructure, where election officials are best positioned to counter them. Throughout these guides we refer to mis/disinformation incidents together, as the strategies for countering or responding to them are the same.
Download the full Playbook:The Election Influence Operations Playbook - Part 1 [PDF]
Download the "5 Questions" hand-out:"5 Questions of the Election Process" [PDF]
https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/election-influence-operations-playbook-part-1
The Election Influence Operations Playbook, Part 2
Mis/Disinformation Response Plan
The Election Influence Operations Playbook for State and Local Election Officials is part of a series of playbooks developed since 2017 by the Defending Digital Democracy Project (D3P) at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center to help election officials prepare for and respond to cyber and information attacks.
The Information Operations Playbook provides advice and guidance for election officials to assist them in better understanding, countering, and responding to influence operations. It is divided into three parts: Understanding Election Mis and Disinformation; The Mis/Disinformation Response Plan; and The Mis/Disinformation Response Scenario Plans (by request).
Part 2: Mis/Disinformation Response Plan
This section of the Playbook includes recommendations and materials focused on the response process. It will help election officials respond to election-related mis and disinformation incidents quickly and in a coordinated fashion.
Modern influence operations typically attack the democratic process online and can spread quickly. The most effective responses are swift, simple, and clear. A unified team effort should be engaged in countering these efforts.
In this playbook, we refer to mis/disinformation throughout as one concept. For election officials, any incorrect information presented to voters, regardless of source or intention, can pose a threat to elections because it can undermine voters’ understanding of and trust in the election.
The recommendations in this playbook will need to change as mis/disinformation tactics evolve. The most effective way to counter these incidents is to ensure that your office is a well-known, trusted source of information on election processes and requirements, in advance of election day.
In this guide, we advocate for a four-stage approach to counter IO which can help you make a response plan:
1. Anticipate & Prepare
Steps officials can take ahead of elections to make mis/disinformation incidents less likely to occur or to lay a foundation for an efficient response to such incidents.
2. Identify & Assess
How officials can identify mis/disinformation incidents and assess their relative severity.
3. Respond & Report
What officials can do to address mis/disinformation incidents when they occur.
4. Learn & Improve
How officials can learn from past mis/disinformation incidents to improve responses and defenses in later election cycles.
Download the full PlaybookThe Election Influence Operations Playbook - Part 2 [PDF]
https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/election-influence-operations-playbook-part-2
