CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner spoke to secretaries of state from across the country this weekend about how to educate the public about the dangers of election interference.
Warner appeared at the National Association of Secretaries of State Summer Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to discuss his office’s education efforts, which aim to inform voters about how foreign entities work to influence voters before they head to the polls.
“Everybody should know that they did not change one vote anywhere in America. Not one vote was changed by the Russians or anyone else to affect the outcome of the election,” he said last week on MetroNews “Talkline.”
“Instead, they were playing in a three-dimensional area, the mind, body and spirit, trying to get Americans to fight with each on another, to not trust their governments, not trust the outcome of the election.”
Warner said groups in other countries spread misinformation about candidates and issues; an information video from the Secretary of State’s Office pointed to Facebook posts that fabricate information and promote events inciting tensions as ways groups have successfully tried to influence voters.
“Everyone should understand that you and your social media contacts are on the frontline of this information warfare that the Russians have decided to use against us,” Warner said.
More than two years since the 2016 election cycle, Warner said the United States is challenging other groups about interfering in national elections. West Virginia was the first state to train county clerks on the issues regarding cyber influence on voters.