DETROIT (WXYZ) — We are just weeks out from the Presidential Election, and it feels like the campaign ads, texts, posts and even snail mail are at an all-time high.
Some voters are saying they're feeling overwhelmed by the nonstop content and not knowing what is and isn't true.
We saw ourselves how quickly misinformation can spread in 2020, when a conservative website shared footage of one of our photographers going into the Huntington Center spread like wildfire under the guise of secret ballots being brought in.
WATCH: How a WXYZ wagon sparked false election fraud claims in Detroit
I talked with voters, election administrators and political experts who all say navigating misinformation online right now is like getting through a digital minefield.
"You can see more ads on YouTube, social media ads," said voter Drew Lee.
"I’m seeing a lot of the information on YouTube, local news, and a lot of the streaming channels that air commercials," said voter Howard Slaughter.
To voters, it's edging on misinformation overload.
"I see a lot of family members that share things that may or may not be true," said voter Seth Harper.
"To be honest I don’t do a lot of fact checking but I basically rely on people who are involved in the democratic process," Howard said.
University of Michigan's Dr. Ken Kollman studies the spread of false or misleading information surrounding elections, saying once information is out there, it's nearly possible to contain.
"The social media the things we have in our hands. Our phones. Tablets that we have. Can spread information in a few minutes around the world," Dr. Kollman said. "Pictures, photos videos around the world."
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said that misinformation can spark dangerous action.
"Well, you know, we have seen an influx of misinformation, not just from, you know, candidates in the United States, but from foreign bad actors and adversaries into our state through social media. And so that does generate the potential for threats and violence," Sec. Benson said.
Misinformation can quickly poke holes into an election's integrity, a falsity that election administrators are still dealing with.
"Since 2020, yeah. It hasn’t stopped. It hasn’t slowed down," said Oakland County Clerk Lisa Brown. "Our lives have been threatened. I’ve received a death threat. Our director of elections received a death threat. People call and threaten the office...on the basis of election integrity."
Here in Oakland County's Election's Division, they're testing voting equipment, running ballots through and making sure the votes are counted properly. These tests are happening by law or have happened state-wide.
"We test it before every single election. If it’s being used in an election it’s being tested before election," Lisa said.
Lisa also says to just ask your election clerk if you have any questions. If you see a piece of juicy information online, Dr. Kollman recommends before hitting share or taking it to gospel, check to see if any other sources are reporting something similar.
If you want to triple check, the Michigan bureau of elections has several fact-checking websites on it's page. You can learn more information about those websites at this link.
