The Election Denier's Playbook, Part Five: The Midterms We Can’t Afford to Sit Out

With the midterm elections fast approaching, the window to take meaningful action is closing. But it isn’t too late to pay attention, stay engaged, spread the word, and most importantly — exercise your right to vote.

There is still time to prepare, respond, and meet the moment.

Throughout this series we have examined how and why election deniers are so effective at spreading mis- and disinformation — the tactics they use and the psychological levers they pull to make falsehoods feel like common sense. But there are simple things that anyone can do in their daily life to fight back. If you encounter mis- and disinformation in real life or in online spaces — whether it’s being spread by a lawmaker, a family member, an old classmate, or the president himself — you can play a part in combatting these false and harmful narratives by providing accurate information and resources.

Get familiar with your rights as an Arizona voter.

Review our Know Your Rights as a Voter webpage, read our Know Your Elections Officials guide, and learn about election processes and certification so you can be equipped to tell the lies from the truth. In addition, turn to credible sources like the Secretary of State or local election officials you trust to gain a better understanding of election administration in your county. When you’re an informed voter, you’ll be better prepared to spot falsehoods.

Share accurate information with your community proactively.

One of the best ways to stop mis- and disinformation in its tracks is to get the facts out to your friends, family, and community early on. While it is best to get information directly from your election officials, reputable news organizations and nonpartisan nonprofits (like the ACLU!) are other good options.

Media Literacy 101: It’s good practice to take the following steps when consuming any news media and before sharing anything with your networks.

• Research the news organization and author/reporter of the story you are reading, watching, or listening to.
• Check the publish date to make sure it is recent.
• If you found this information on social media or YouTube, check their claims with a Google search to see if news outlets have reported comparable information. You may also want to visit the user’s profile and scan their other content to gauge their level of knowledge on the topic they’re posting about.
• Listen or read the phrasing of the language carefully. Are claims in the post or news story supported by fact or opinion? Are they relying on data or emotion?
• Check to see that any sources or experts quoted in the story are real people affiliated with credible institutions or groups.
• Are hyperlinks provided with proper attribution informing readers of where information and data came from? (NOTE: be careful when clicking on links of suspicious looking websites!)
• Are other news sites also reporting the issue? If so, make sure to read those stories too to ensure you are getting the full picture of the issue and are spotting potential biases.

Keep an eye out for AI.

Don’t repost anything without confirming first that the information is true and that any text, videos, or photos are real and not AI-generated. The number of AI-written webpages are trending up, AI videos and images are becoming more convincing all the time, and the inconsistencies and weird flaws that previously served as hallmarks are no longer reliably present. Instead of over-analyzing every image, it’s best to check with reliable sources, like media outlets and government agencies, before sharing viral content that could be generated by AI.

Lead with shared values.

We all want fair elections with accurate results despite political ideologies. Every eligible voter wants and deserves to have their vote counted. But talking about elections or politics can often feel charged in today’s climate. By uplifting the values that hold our democracy together, we can help people of different viewpoints start on common ground.

Don’t repeat the lie, even if you aim to debunk it.

Repeating mis- and disinformation only helps reinforce the false claims. Instead, you should respond by simply sharing accurate information or suggesting a credible source to turn to.

You can also try the “truth sandwich” strategy: state the truth, explain why the misinformation is incorrect, and then restate the truth.

For example:

State the truth: Our county’s tabulating machines have been certified through rigorous state and federal processes, with no evidence of inaccuracies.
Address the incorrect information: Despite this, county supervisors continue to question their reliability with no evidence.
Restate the truth: But Independent audits and records have consistently shown that the certification process was thorough and legitimate.

Remember, we’re all human! At the center of the election denier’s strategy is rhetoric designed to sow division and target people they cast as the “other.” If we want to defend our democracy, we can’t feed into that approach.

If you’ve read the “Election Deniers' Playbook” from start to finish, you’ve built a strong foundation to advocate for our democracy. You’re well-prepared to identify key officials and understand their roles. Now it's time to take that knowledge and put it into action — making clear to elected officials that you are informed, paying attention, and are engaged.

We all have a role to play in upholding our democracy. Join the ACLU to become a Democracy Defender.

The ACLU’s Democracy Defenders program is one way to turn your awareness into organized, coordinated, and effective advocacy.

You can expect to participate in:

• Election Protection Work
• Know Your Rights Voting Workshops
• Community Listening Sessions
• Civics Education and Leadership Development Training

Don’t feel like you have enough time to commit to join a Democracy Defenders team? There are plenty of things you can do on your own to hold election administrators accountable:

Vote Bad Actors Out: If an election administrator is up re-election in your jurisdiction and has a documented record of election denialism or undermining democratic processes, use your vote to support candidates who have made a clear, public commitment to upholding free and fair elections.

Contact Them Directly: Most election officials have a way for their constituents to reach them — whether that be through public facing phone lines or email addresses. Don’t underestimate the impact your message can have. Be specific, be clear on what you are writing about, and state your expectations of them.

Attend Public Meetings: Election boards, county supervisors, and the secretary of state often hold public meetings or participate in community forums to engage with their constituents. Your physical presence in these spaces sends a strong message. It also gives you an opportunity to ask questions and connect with other invested and engaged community members throughout the state.

Spread the Word: Believe it or not, you are a trusted messenger to your friends, family, and those in your immediate community. Share what you’ve learned within your sphere of influence by posting on social media, writing postcards, calling a friend, or discussing the elections with a neighbor.

Election denialism is alive and well in Arizona. The 2026 midterms will be the next test of our democracy’s resilience. The races in question won’t just decide control of Congress, but they’ll also decide who holds the state offices with direct oversight over how Arizona’s elections are run. That is not something to be taken lightly.

Your vote is the answer to the doubts seeded by election deniers.

This playbook exists to ensure voters like you understand the process, know their rights, and prevent those seeking power to manufacture controversy if the results are not what they want. Election deniers count on confusion and chaos, and they win when voters feel powerless and unsure. Let’s use this playbook to achieve the opposite. Our vote is our voice, and we won’t let anyone stand in our way.