Recently, a video circulating online showing Pennsylvania ballots being destroyed has sparked high concern from the United States intelligence community. Upon investigation, it has been determined that the content of the video is not based on real events; rather, it is believed to have been orchestrated and produced by Russian operatives.
According to a joint statement from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Russian operatives are behind the dissemination of this fake video. The video attempts to depict election workers in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, destroying a large number of mail-in ballots, with the intention of misleading the public and undermining trust in the fairness and integrity of the U.S. election.
The statement asserts: “Based on the information available to the intelligence community and past activities of Russian operatives, including videos and other disinformation campaigns, the intelligence community assesses that this video was produced and disseminated by Russian actors (representing the Russian government or individuals/organizations with Russian backgrounds), and it fabricates a scenario of an election worker tearing up ballots in Pennsylvania.”
Relevant authorities have stated that this video is just one of the ongoing efforts by Russia to interfere in the U.S. election, aiming to sow doubt in the final stages of the 2024 election and incite division among Americans questioning the fairness of the election process.
The Bucks County Board of Elections, affected by this incident, swiftly refuted the contents of the video on Thursday (October 24), reaffirming their commitment to the fairness and transparency of the election process.
In their statement, the Bucks County Board of Elections clarified: “The mail-in ballot envelopes and materials shown in the video are evidently not authentic materials owned or distributed by the Bucks County Board of Elections.”
This video surfaced on X platform on Thursday afternoon and was shared by some users, misinterpreted as evidence of voter fraud.
Darren Linvill, an expert on Russian disinformation activities at Clemson University, told CNN that he believes the video was produced by Russian operatives because “its style and techniques are very similar to previous Russian information campaigns (Storm-1516). More importantly, it first appeared on an account that had previously posted Storm narratives and regularly shared related content.”
Linvill pointed out that this suggests a connection to Russia’s disinformation activities.