Amid Russian election interference, Michigan's leaders worry about misinformation

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — News is emerging that Russia has plans, or has already started, meddling in the United States’ 2020 election and it’s raising concerns about Michigan’s election security, especially with the presidential primary in two and a half weeks.

President Donald Trump was angry at intelligence officials for telling House lawmakers that Russia is already meddling in the 2020 election to help him win, the New York Times reported Thursday.

In Michigan, voters us paper ballots, which election specialists say is a best practice to ensure accuracy and prevent potential for tampering. Jake Rollow, spokesperson for Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s Office, said the state already employs several safeguards to ensure potential for interference is limited.

“We’re constantly testing our cyber systems but we’re also ensuring that we’re not using the internet in places that we don’t need to,” Rollow said. "[We are ] pulling together [Department of Homeland Security] and other agencies to test and actually attempt to break our systems so that we can make sure that they are strong.”

Voting machines are not hooked up to the internet, Rollow said. His biggest concern though, isn’t with hacking machines, but voter’s minds. Rollow said it’s important for people to check sources of information found online and social media.

Before the general election in November 2019, Benson raised the same concerns when discussing election security.

“One of the biggest challenges to election security is not just the potential for hacking our elections but also hacking the minds of voters themselves, which is as much of a threat to the security of our elections as anything,” Benson said in November. “If voters don’t have confidence that when they go to cast their ballot that the system is going to work and is going to protect their voice and count their vote, then everything we are fighting for falls to the wayside.”

The State Department is committed to putting accurate information online when it comes to election day and voter registration, Rollow said; two areas in particular foreign countries may target to spread misinformation. To ensure the accuracy of news, Benson said to stop and think twice about where the information is coming from before reacting.

“Think critically, look at sources and recognize that there are concerted efforts to try and confuse citizens in the state not just about their right to vote, but about the content of the election themselves,” she said.

Follow Political Reporter Mikenzie Frost on Twitter and Facebook. Send tips to mbfrost@sbgtv.com.