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By: Melanie Phillips, Cindy Mays, and Grayson Wormser

Misinformation is a rising threat to democracy, influencing how Americans perceive politics and trust public institutions. As we approach the final days of voting in the 2024 elections, false and misleading information continues to spread–serving only to deepen divides and weaken citizens’ ability to engage confidently in democratic processes. Because tackling this issue is essential for a healthy democracy, we wanted to gather a baseline understanding of Americans’ experiences with misinformation.

SIGNIFICANT MAJORITY OF AMERICANS REPORT FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERING MISINFORMATION

Citizen Data’s recent survey reveals that misinformation is pervasive in Americans’ media experiences. Nearly 3 in 4 voters (71%) report encountering misinformation regularly, with 41% seeing it at least once a week and 30% encountering it a few times monthly. Only a small minority (6%) report never coming across false or misleading information. These findings suggest that misinformation remains a persistent challenge for information integrity in the U.S., potentially leading to confusion, distrust in media sources, and increased polarization. The high frequency of misinformation encounters, particularly among weekly and monthly groups, may also indicate a growing need for digital literacy programs to help the public better identify reliable information sources.

AMERICANS SEE OTHERS AS MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO MISINFORMATION THAN THEMSELVES

Our survey also highlights a notable “perception gap” in beliefs about misinformation: Americans tend to think their friends and family are more susceptible to believing false information on social media than they are themselves. In our research and in other studies, we often find that people’s views of their close friends and family can provide a more accurate picture of their attitudes than what they report about themselves.

As seen below, while only 17% of voters admit to believing misinformation at least once a week, 35% think their friends or family members fall for it just as frequently. We observe similar trends when looking at voters who report believing misinformation a few times a month. This gap suggests that Americans often see themselves as better at spotting reliable information than their friends and family, which might point to some overconfidence in their own media skills.

PARTISAN DIVIDES SHAPE VIEWS ON NONCITIZEN VOTING CONCERNS

A major source of misinformation this election cycle is the claim that noncitizens are voting illegally. Despite multiple studies and investigations concluding noncitizen voting is extremely rare, it remains a persistent concern among the electorate. Our most recent survey shows this concern is highly partisan. Overall 54% of voters are at least somewhat concerned that non-citizens may be voting illegally, highlighting the pervasiveness of this misleading election narrative.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Republicans are significantly more concerned about this issue than Democrats or Independents. Among Republicans, 62% say they are “very concerned” about noncitizen voting, compared to only 17% of Democrats and 32% of Independents. Conversely, 40% of Democrats are “not concerned at all” about this issue, while only 4% of Republicans share that sentiment. This strong partisan divide underscores how misinformation surrounding noncitizen voting has become a powerful narrative within certain political circles, likely shaping attitudes and priorities as we approach election season.

THE KEY TAKEAWAY

Citizen Data’s survey reveals that misinformation is not only pervasive in American media experiences but also shapes perceptions and amplifies partisan divides. The high frequency with which Americans encounter misinformation poses risks to public trust and contributes to increased polarization. A significant “perception gap” suggests that individuals see misinformation as a problem affecting others more than themselves, which may undermine collective efforts to combat it. Additionally, the strong partisan divide around issues like noncitizen voting illustrates how misinformation narratives can influence political priorities and voter concerns.

These findings highlight the urgent need for nuanced, inclusive strategies to address misinformation, promote digital literacy, and reinforce public confidence in factual information during a critical election cycle.

Interested in more on this topic or others? We’ll be continuing to track these key indicators to provide consistent, real-time feedback on the health of American democracy. Sign up for our latest insights here.

Methodology: The data come from a Citizen Data survey conducted October 16, 2024 – October 21, 2024 with N = 1,010 registered voters and a +/- 3.1% margin of error. Results were weighted based on Party ID, Age, and Race.

Footnotes: The category of “At Least Once a Week” was created by combining “Always (At least once a day)” and “Often (Once a week)” response options.

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