Oregon secretary of state launches ‘Trusted Info’ campaign to combat false election information

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — False election information is a growing problem in Oregon and around the country. This week, Secretary of State Shemia Fagan said Thursday she is launching a new initiative to “prebunk” false information by getting accurate information in front of voters before they are exposed to misinformation.

“Our best tool in the fight against false information is true information,” said Fagan. “We are committed to reaching Oregon voters early and often, so the first thing they hear about Oregon elections is the truth.”

Trusted Info 2022 is part of a national effort led by the National Association of Secretaries of State. In Oregon, the campaign will include:

1. Public service announcements done in partnership with Happylucky, a Portland-based design firm. These include animated videos, radio spots, and graphics for print and social media in the five commonly spoken languages in Oregon.
   
   The first PSA on closed primaries is available here. The second PSA on the postmark rule will be available by April 26, the day before ballots are mailed.
   
   The SOS Elections Division encourages media outlets to air these materials as part of the effort to combat false information. Contact Ben Morris at ben.morris@sos.oregon.gov for additional information.
   
2. Updates to Oregonvotes.gov, focusing on providing plain language information on how elections in Oregon work and debunking common myths. This information is included in a new Election Information section on the website. A direct link is here.
   
3. Social media campaign designed to reach voters with accurate information in easy to understand and easy to share formats. You can find follow this campaign on the Election Division’s Facebook and Twitter pages. As of April 14, the campaign has reached a total of 75,000 impressions across the two social media platforms — and we’re just getting started!

There is no media buy associated with the May Election campaign. Funding for the project was provided by the Legislature as part of an election modernization fund, repurposed in the 2022 legislative session.