Overview: As the US approaches the June Primary and November Presidential Election, concerns over the integrity of the election process are growing. The article emphasizes the importance of being informed and verifying information from credible sources, given the overwhelming amount of political information and the control of media by wealthy corporations. It also highlights the role of artificial intelligence in spreading misinformation and the laws in California designed to regulate the use of AI in political advertising.
S.E. Williams
It’s time to admit what many Americans are starting to believe may be true—the integrity of this year’s elections are in jeopardy. While others have sounded the alarm since Donald J. Trump assumed the U.S. presidency for the second time on January 20, 2025, other Americans are finally beginning to see the warning signs as well.
While some people are driven to the polls each election cycle for selfish reasons, most cast their ballots from a sense of civic duty. What matters most in the election process—regardless of whether we are inspired to vote for selfish or societal reasons—is that we, as voters, make responsible and informed decisions when we cast our ballots.
Today, the issue of being “informed” requires more than passive and/or casual reading, listening to and/or watching the overwhelming amount of political information that tends to flood our environments on a daily basis.
The unrelenting control of media by fewer and fewer wealthy oligarchs and/or corporations, demands that we as consumers of information, take nothing–even this column–at face value. This is one of the primary reasons that when warranted, I include links to resources I use in my columns so readers have an easy way to verify the information I present.
It is imperative that we confirm the veracity of the information we consume because dis-information has a tendency to spread faster than the truth. As a wise person once declared, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.”
As we move closer and closer to the June Primary and ultimately, the November Presidential Election, it is more critical than ever that we take nothing at face value. We must educate ourselves not only on the issues, but especially on those running for public office whose decisions will ultimately effect our lives as individuals and a community.
For this reason, it is important that we not only seek to use credible and reliable sources that we trust but also that we take time to check multiple sources especially as it relates to candidates and important issues. By doing so, you increase the probability of ensuring the accuracy of the information you consume. It is also important to not only be aware of your own biases but also the biases of the sources that you use. In addition, it can also be helpful to review any documentation that supports whatever claims are being made in the story you are researching.
“We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false.”
Attributed to William J. Casey (CIA Director, 1981)
There are several fact checking websites that can assist you in your search. Included among them are sites like PolitFacts, Snopes, FactCheck.org and AP News Fact Check, to name a few.
The role of Artificial Intelligence in Mis-/Dis-Information
In late March, Reuters reported on growing political concerns over AI generated campaign videos that are confusing and/or deceiving voters.
According to the report, such ads appear to be effective, the article even pointed to a 2025 study published in the Journal of Creative Communications that noted how people struggle to identify deepfake videos and “that their opinions are affected by this type of misinformation.” There is little question such videos increase the probability of voters being deceived or at the very least, confused.
Reuters further noted how its review of publicly available ads revealed Republicans appear to be using the technology in this regard more than Democrats.
The good news is that CA has implemented some of the most broad-based rules in the nation that are designed to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in political advertising. Included among them are AB 1810 and the laws related to such as (AB 2355, AB 2655, and AB 2839). The law requires any advertising that includes an image, audio or video that is generated or substantially altered using AI to include a “clear, conspicuous disclosure”.
CA also has a prohibition against the dissemination of what it calls “materially deceptive audio or visual media of a candidate” 120 days before an election and 60 days after. The purpose of this restriction is to prevent any content generated by AI that could mislead voters about a candidate’s actions, words or deeds.
In addition, large online platforms are required to actively block and remove material that contains “deceptive content related to elections in California.” The platforms are also required to provide some way for users to report such content.
I hope you find this background information and resources useful in your quest to consider accurate and credible information related to this year’s elections.
Of course, this is just my opinion. I’m keeping it real.