According to the head of the Federal Returning Officer, Ruth Brand, the number of false news stories on the internet about the German federal election is expected to increase before the election day. “We see a range of misinformation in social media before every federal election” Brand said in an interview with the Rheinische Post. “We try to correct these and provide comprehensive information through our own channels.”
Brand noted that such misinformation tends to increase before elections, as seen in previous elections. “We don’t have concrete evidence of a significant increase by the election day, but we do expect the number of false information to rise” she said, adding that there is no systematic attempt to influence the election.
Brand urged readers to critically evaluate their sources of information. “If I receive information that doesn’t seem credible to me or seems suspicious, I should question it and seek a second source” she said, referencing the Social Media Channels of the Federal Returning Officer’s website.
At the same time, Brand emphasized that the federal election is a “very secure election” due to the electoral system. “Voters cast their ballots either in person at a polling station or by mail and all ballots are on paper and are counted on paper as well” she explained. “The counting is public, so the election results are always verifiable and the election is secure.