A Center for American Progress (CAP) report maintains there are lessons to be learned regarding 2016 election interference and addresses steps to shield future votes from such actions.
“America was caught off guard in 2016, but there are no excuses in future elections,” said James Lamond, co-author of the report and a fellow on CAP’s National Security and International Policy team. “All Americans, regardless of their political party, have a duty to prevent this interference from undermining our elections. Only by showing that their efforts cannot be effective and that there is a price to pay will authoritarian governments fully understand that it is simply not worth it.”
The CAP said Congress should pass legislation prohibiting political campaigns and foreign governments from exchanging campaign information and requiring campaigns report any foreign government offers of assistance; government officials, political candidates, the media, and voters must be vigilant about interference and keep their guards up; social media companies must aggressively combat online disinformation or face consequences; and interagency and intergovernmental information sharing must be improved.
Political candidates should declare their intent to respond to foreign interference with sanctions equaling the level of interference that takes place. Domestic intelligence and law enforcement agencies should conduct a comprehensive review of foreign interference attempts and recommendations in every future election.