The CCP Spreads Disinformation in an Attempt to Influence the U.S. Election

Archival Photo: Polling station in Queens, New York City. (Lin Yijun / Dajiyuan)

[People News] As early voting and election day (November 5) for the U.S. election approach, social media accounts linked to the CCP have started promoting doubts about the fairness of the election process.

According to Voice of America (VOA), a joint investigation by VOA and the Taiwan Democracy Lab found that multiple CCP disinformation accounts, referred to as “junk camouflage” accounts, have posted or reposted allegations of election fraud in the past 10 days. These accusations are not original, as similar claims have already been widely circulated on U.S. social media.

This latest finding by VOA and the Democracy Lab aligns with our analysis of the content posted by “junk camouflage” accounts over the past few months, indicating that the CCP’s disinformation campaigns are not aimed at helping any specific candidate win. Instead, the goal is to erode public trust in the U.S. government and undermine confidence in democratic institutions.

U.S. officials have previously expressed concerns that foreign forces, including the CCP, could question the election process through disinformation campaigns, potentially causing chaos after the election concludes.

Spreading Doubts About Election Fairness

Over the past week, our investigation identified at least 55 posts on social media platform X from “junk camouflage” accounts questioning the fairness of the election. In previous investigations, we rarely found these accounts posting any content related to election fraud.

One post from October 29 claimed that a group of non-U.S. citizens supporting Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris was seen cutting in line at a polling station, with two videos attached as evidence.

One video shows a group of people approaching a polling station, with a line of voters waiting to cast their ballots. In the other video, a man in front of the camera claims that these people are “foreigners.”

These videos were initially posted by an account on X named "Emma Cawood" on October 27, and the event location was in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

After the video spread, local authorities responded to the footage and accusations. In a statement, the county government clarified that the people in the video were not foreigners, nor did they cut in line to vote.

The statement explained that these individuals were there to apply for mail-in voting. After speaking with polling station staff, the elderly and disabled among them were allowed to sit and wait for their applications to be processed, while some were provided with translation services. The rest rejoined the line outside the polling station.

X has now added a warning label to the original post by "Emma Cawood," indicating that the content is misleading.

A “junk camouflage” account reposted news about a voting incident. A man in Tarrant County, Texas, claimed that when he selected Republican candidate Donald Trump on a voting machine, his printed ballot showed Kamala Harris instead.

Tarrant County Election Director Clint Ludwig released a video on X explaining that he believed the voter did indeed select a candidate, and that the selection result was printed, but the man only realized it was incorrect after confirming his choice. Ludwig said such errors are not uncommon during voting and that the issue could be resolved by canceling the ballot.

Ludwig said the voter informed the polling station’s supervisor, who canceled the incorrect ballot, allowing the voter to mark his choice on a new ballot. He added, "With this understanding, you should be able to vote in Tarrant County with confidence."

In an interview with The Dallas Morning News, Ludwig strongly advised voters to verify their selections on the printed paper ballot before scanning it to ensure their vote is counted. He also told The Dallas Morning News that "there is no reason to believe the voting system in Tarrant County is flipping votes."

Some “junk camouflage” accounts outright declared that Americans do not trust their electoral system.

"People do not trust their elections, voting, or the free and fair electoral system," one account wrote. "I can’t believe this is happening in the world’s most powerful democratic nation."

No Support for a Particular Candidate

VOA and the Democracy Lab are monitoring hundreds of “junk camouflage” accounts on X. These bot accounts pose as real users, posting content on X and other platforms aligned with Beijing’s narrative, including disinformation.

We analyzed 536 posts from four influential and representative content publishers over the past six months. We found that these accounts did not particularly favor any candidate in this year’s U.S. presidential election. In fact, they shared negative opinions on Trump, Harris, former Democratic candidate and current president Joe Biden.

"Both Biden and Trump are the worst presidents," stated one post from a “junk camouflage” account.

When describing Harris, the “junk camouflage” accounts often criticized her honesty. One post stated, "Simply put, her values are based on repeating lies."

Another post labeled Trump, Biden, Harris, and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley as “supporters of genocide,” referring to their support for Israel in the Gaza conflict.

U.S. intelligence officials and disinformation experts have previously stated that, unlike Russia and Iran, CCP disinformation campaigns do not favor any particular candidate. Instead, their goal is to amplify divisions within the United States, making Americans question their government’s competence and thereby undermining confidence in U.S. democracy.

In an earlier report, VOA quoted anonymous intelligence officials who warned that China, Russia, and Iran may spread disinformation after the election ends, questioning the election process and possibly inciting violence.

The United States as the Main Target of “Junk Camouflage” Attacks

Our analysis of four representative “junk camouflage” accounts showed that the vast majority of their content criticized the United States.

When promoting the CCP, “junk camouflage” accounts often post scenic photos of China and praise China’s infrastructure. Over the past six months, “junk camouflage” accounts have also defended Chinese athletes involved in doping scandals.

Even while promoting the CCP, “junk camouflage” accounts do not miss the opportunity to criticize the U.S. In one post, a “junk camouflage” account posted a photo of a clean subway station in Shanghai and compared it to a more run-down subway station in New York.

After analyzing these posts, the Democracy Lab concluded that the goal of “junk camouflage” is to erode trust in the United States.

"The posts we’ve seen so far aim to make people lose confidence in the U.S.," the analysis stated. "According to ‘junk camouflage,’ the U.S. has many domestic issues, and Trump, Biden, or Harris are unable to solve them, as they are all unfit to serve as president and only seek to please Israel."