Since 2020, the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public has published “rapid research” during elections that aims to cut through the noise and confusion of online rumors that can undermine trust in election processes and voting procedures. These rumors are now so pervasive that CIP researchers have designed an interactive Rigged Election Bingo game where you can learn more about common election integrity tropes.
This year the CIP’s work is focused on:
- Ensuring people have timely and accurate information about when, where and how to vote safely
- Surfacing and diagnosing rumors that could delegitimize election results
- Exposing the tactics and strategies behind production and amplification of election rumors
Below are the CIP’s rapid research pieces this season. UW News will update this post as the CIP publishes research related to the 2026 election. You can also follow the CIP’s Election Rumor Rundown on Substack or join its mailing list for other CIP updates.
- Spot the lie: 6 moves of ‘rigged election’ rumors
- Election Rumor Rundown for October 24: Emerging election integrity stories from Washington, Minnesota and Arizona
- From confession to conspiracy: How the Wedgewood fake polls story spread
- Election Rumor Rundown for October 22: Machines switch votes on Dolly Parton’s sister, ballots returned to senders
- Voters express confusion amid a lot of ‘noise’ around mail-in voting
- Election Rumor Rundown for October 13: Emerging rumors around voting machines and ‘ballot dumping’
- Federal fraud charges resonate with debunked non-citizen voting narratives
- Recent Utah, Texas incidents fuel rumors and political narratives undermining trust in election integrity
- Vote early! Washington state mail-in ballots spur rumors
/Public Release. View in full here.
