With Election Day approaching, foreign adversaries are increasingly trying to sway the U.S. elections, including crucial down-ballot races, according to intelligence officials who spoke to the media on Monday.
“We’re witnessing a notable uptick in these activities as we near the elections,” an anonymous official told Voice of America. They pointed out that Americans have already started voting, making foreign efforts potentially more impactful at this time.
Countries like China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba are reportedly attempting to infiltrate the election narrative and deepen divisions within the U.S. over contentious issues such as immigration.
As of Tuesday, an NBC News poll indicated that over 16 million Americans had either requested mail-in ballots or participated in early voting, even with four weeks left until Election Day.
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Intelligence agencies have been briefing candidates at all levels about the ongoing foreign interference, with reports of such notifications exceeding those from any previous election cycle. This year, instances of suspected foreign influence campaigns against public officials have reportedly surged more than threefold.
Chinese-affiliated actors have allegedly interfered in numerous down-ballot races, particularly around issues important to the Chinese Communist Party, according to Reuters.
One significant concern for China is Taiwan, which it aims to control, with strong bipartisan support for the island among U.S. lawmakers. For decades, the U.S. has committed to supplying Taiwan with defensive weaponry as outlined in the Taiwan Relations Act.
Beijing has previously denied these allegations, asserting its non-interference foreign policy. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, Russia and Iran are reportedly trying to influence U.S. voters as well. Russian efforts seem aimed at diminishing support for Ukraine amid its conflict with Russia, while Iran is covertly backing Vice President Kamala Harris, according to officials.
Cuba is focusing on winning over Spanish-speaking voters in an effort to support its favored candidates on social media.
This development comes in the wake of a report last month from Graphika, which detailed a Chinese tactic involving fake accounts to create discord in U.S. social media environments.