Is Deceptive Political Advertising a Form of Voter Suppression?
Weaponising Deceit: How Lies and Misinformation Threaten the Heart of Australian Democracy.
Democracy is often heralded as a cornerstone of freedom—a system where every citizen’s voice matters. Yet, as recent elections in the United States and Australia have revealed, the integrity of democratic systems is under threat from deceptive political advertising and voter suppression tactics. These practices raise a critical question: Does lying in political advertising amount to voter suppression? And if so, what does this mean for the future of democracy?
The U.S. Case: A Blueprint for Misinformation
The United States provides a stark example of how misinformation and disinformation can undermine democracy. The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election was plagued by a flood of false claims, including baseless allegations of voter fraud and manipulation of mail-in ballots. Campaigns like "Stop the Steal" sought to delegitimise votes in urban and minority communities, fostering distrust and suppressing turnout. Targeted disinformation, such as robocalls warning Black and Latino voters that their personal data would be shared with law enforcement if they registered to vote, exemplifies how lies can disenfranchise vulnerable groups.
The 2024 election cycle has further highlighted the enduring threat of misinformation. False narratives about election rigging and conspiracies around voting technology have persisted, with social media amplifying these claims to millions. New tactics, such as deepfake videos of candidates and AI-generated misinformation, have created an even more complex landscape for voters to navigate. These efforts disproportionately target minority and low-income communities, who often face systemic barriers to voting already, such as limited polling locations and restrictive voter ID laws.
These tactics weren’t just dirty tricks; they were calculated strategies to manipulate voter behaviour and erode public trust in the electoral process. While the U.S. Constitution protects free speech, including political lies, the consequences of this unchecked misinformation are clear: a democracy vulnerable to manipulation and a populace increasingly disillusioned with the integrity of their vote.
Parallels in Australia: The Liberal Party’s Tactics
Australia, often seen as a bastion of democracy with its compulsory voting system and independent Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), has not been immune to these practices. The Liberal Party, under both Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton’s leadership, has and is engaging in tactics that bear troubling similarities to those seen in the U.S.
Misleading Campaign Materials
During the 2019 federal election, the Liberal Party under the leadership of Scott Morrison, distributed Chinese-language corflutes designed to mimic official AEC materials, same colour scheme and all. These signs instructed Chinese speaking voters to "put the Liberal Party first," exploiting trust in electoral institutions and confusing non-English-speaking voters. Such actions undermine the principle of informed participation, effectively suppressing votes.
Fear-Mongering and Division
Since Peter Dutton became Leader of the Liberal party, he and the party have also leveraged divisive rhetoric to discourage participation among specific groups. Whether through inflammatory comments about immigration, crime, job losses for men because of women, or economic collapse, these narratives aim to create a sense of alienation among minority groups, younger voters, and those in lower socio-economic brackets. Such tactics often lead to disengagement and distorted views about what is really on offer in demographics less likely to support conservative policies. This deliberate sowing of division is a strategic effort to limit effective and informed voter participation among key demographics, effectively suppressing their voices in the political process and getting them to vote against their best interests. For instance after the 5 November 2024 US election, the most searched terms on the internet were ‘What is a tarrif?’ and ‘How can I change my vote?’.
The Voice Referendum: Eroding Trust
The Coalition’s campaign against the Voice to Parliament referendum under the guise of Advance Australia, offers another example of voter manipulation. By questioning the AEC’s integrity and spreading misinformation about the referendum’s purpose, they sowed confusion and mistrust, discouraging voter engagement. When voters are bombarded with conflicting or misleading information, confusion and apathy set in—key ingredients of voter suppression. This manipulation distorts the ability of Australians to make informed decisions, much like similar tactics in the U.S.
Australians for Prosperity: Exporting the Koch Brothers’ Playbook
Enter Australians for Prosperity, an advocacy group with ties to the Liberal Party and modelled after the Koch brothers’ Americans for Prosperity. Funded by wealthy backers aligned to the coal and fossil fuel industry, this group opposes progressive policies and promotes narratives that alienate younger and less affluent voters. Their campaigns frame ‘teal’ independents as "pro-tax" and "anti-business," perpetuating the idea that politics is a game for the elite, discouraging participation among those who feel excluded.
This isn’t mere political strategy—it’s a calculated effort to maintain power by manipulating voter perceptions. By flooding the public with misleading narratives, Australians for Prosperity follows a playbook designed to suppress dissenting voices while entrenching the status quo.
Deceptive Advertising as Voter Suppression
When political advertising intentionally misleads or confuses voters, it crosses the line from strategic campaigning to voter suppression. Lies designed to mislead or confuse voters about how to vote or the consequences of policies undermine the ability of citizens to make informed decisions. Democracy relies not just on participation but on informed participation. When voters are deprived of accurate information, their agency is effectively suppressed.
In Australia, lying in political advertising remains legal—a glaring loophole that enables the spread of misinformation with little accountability. Advocacy groups and regulators must confront this issue head-on, as unchecked deception erodes public trust in democratic institutions. This isn't just a political issue; it's an ethical failure, undermining the foundation of democracy.
The Ethical Failure of Suppression
Voter suppression, whether overt or subtle, is fundamentally an ethical failure. It prioritises political gain over democratic integrity, exploiting voters’ trust and ignorance. The tactics employed by Peter Dutton, the Liberal Party, Advance Australia, and Australians for Prosperity reflect a willingness to manipulate the system at the expense of fairness and transparency. This is not just a political issue—it’s a moral one.
What’s at Stake?
The consequences of these tactics go beyond individual elections. When political parties and advocacy groups rely on deceit to win, they erode public trust in the entire democratic process. This cynicism leads to voter apathy, disengagement, and a growing sense that elections are no longer about representing the will of the people but about who can manipulate the system most effectively. The damage done is long-lasting—undermining faith in democracy itself.
The Path Forward: Defending Democracy
Australia must take decisive action to safeguard its democratic processes. This includes introducing laws that prohibit deceptive political advertising, strengthening enforcement mechanisms, and ensuring transparency in campaign funding. Beyond legislation, there is a need for cultural change: voters must be equipped with the critical thinking skills to navigate misinformation and hold political leaders accountable.
Democracy thrives on trust, transparency, and fairness. If we allow lies and suppression tactics to take root, we risk losing the essence of what makes democracy a powerful force for equality and progress. It’s up to voters, media, and policymakers to ensure that the light of democracy shines brightly, untainted by the shadows of deceit and suppression.
For a current example, and how now 'white is black, and black is white' (to mislead ageing &/or low info voters) see Dutton's dog whistling masquerading a pro-semitic security issue, claiming that anti-semitic graffiti by feral skips (Anglo/Irish or white) means the 'left are anti-semitic'; media and low info Australians follow on without challenge vs wtf! and calling it out?
Playing on the old 'cultural Marxism' trope used in 1920-40s Germany, updated for Abbott's friend PM 'mini Putin' Orban on advice of Netanyahu, using his GOP trained people Finkelstein and Birnbaum.
The latter developed the 'Soros conspiracy' based on the white Russian hoax 'Protocols of the Elders of Zionism'; anti-immigrant, Islamophobic and anti-semitic.
Too easy; it was amplified in Hungary, Russia, Anglo & European white Christian nationalists etc. and by FoxNews....yet media are mute on white Christian nationalism and how in US most of Jewish heritage vote Democrat ie. nominally left?
https://www.timesofisrael.com/soros-targeted-by-antisemitic-conspiracy-theories-hatred-amid-trump-indictment/