Before casting your ballot, a new study might give you something to think about when it comes to researching the candidates and issues.
The national study conducted by Reboot shows most Americans are not confident they can spot misinformation.
Reboot polled hundreds of people aged 18 to 74, and 32% said they are not confident in the integrity of our elections but only 28% felt 'very' confident they could accurately spot misinformation.
"Americans are generally poorly informed about elections," said President of Reboot, Helen Lee Bouygues, pointing to leading factors.
First, when surveyed about basic election and voting facts, most got a 'D'. Only 14% scored a 'B' or higher.
"The folks that knew more about elections then the more confidence they had, there was a direct correlation," said Bouygues. She says the second issue points to information sources.
Forty percent of those polled get their election information from podcasts, newsletters, and family members., while 80% turn to social media, despite accusations that some owners are reposting false articles and allowing election videos fueled by bots.
"Social media platforms are echo chambers... (meaning) people are only seeing things they believe so you're continuing to go through a rathole."
Bouygues adds the numbers also reveal a solution. Only 15% of participants engaged with local government by attending public meetings, reaching out to elected officials, or donating but those who did do their civic duty were twice as confident about spotting misinformation.
These findings suggest spotting fake election news will be easier if you get involved in the election process, get your information from verified news sources or the candidates' websites directly and by investigating any social media posts by looking at the background of the author and who paid for it.
You can read the full findings here.
