The term Election interference has been used to describe the use of foreign government funds, agents or hackers to affect the outcome of a domestic American electoral contest. It is a legitimate concern. And it is true that there is a long history of foreign interference in American elections. It is also true that the United States has intervened in the elections of other nations to promote its own economic and strategic interests.
It is possible that the Russian government’s attempts to sow division in the US and support Donald Trump’s campaign did have some effect on the final result. But the evidence on that point remains scanty. And even if it did make a difference, it would be hard to determine whether the impact was measurable.
One thing missing from many discussions of interference is the fact that there are a great number of international voters who frequently have a decided opinion about the candidates and issues in American politics. The views of these voters, both the domestic and the foreign, should be considered as part of the electoral calculus, just as the views of Americans are.
The good news is that there are a lot of things that can be done to address the growing threat of election misinformation. Congressional action, transparent social media platforms, accessible voter education and other measures can all have real impacts. But it will take years to establish rules and tools that will meaningfully address this grave threat.
