EXPLAINER: Looking at Election Day misinformation

WASHINGTON — One key concern about Election Day 2020 in the United States: misinformation, disinformation, and how they could affect the way Americans vote. Here’s a look at what’s been seen so far Tuesday, direct from Karen Mahabir, fact check and misinformation editor for The Associated Press.

ON WHAT HER TEAM HAS SEEN SO FAR:

“We’ve seen a lot of small things. There’s been a lot of what we expected — regular problems at polling stations that are blown up into something more than they are, which we totally thought would happen. We’ve seen a lot of attention on Pennsylvania,” a swing state that many believe will be pivotal in the decision.

ON WHAT SHE EXPECTS IN COMING HOURS AS POLLS CLOSE:

“What we’re going to see is what we see a lot on a day-to-day basis — old material, old posts, old videos being passed off as new.”

ON WHAT HER TEAM IS WATCHING ESPECIALLY CLOSELY:

“I think a lot of this stuff is magnified today. So we need to check ourselves and make sure our judgment is spot-on and that we’re not amplifying anything.”

ON WHAT HAPPENS IF WORD OF A WINNER IS DELAYED:

“My concern is that if we don’t’ have a winner, that leaves a space for people to step in with supposed answers. So I’m concerned with what Wednesday might look like if the race isn’t called.”

The Associated Press