It happens so easily: you’re scrolling through your feed, a friend shares a post about the upcoming election, and the words land with an air of authority. Maybe it says the polls are opening later than you thought, or that a mail-in ballot needs extra postage, or that one candidate has already been declared the winner. The post looks official. The person who shared it is someone you trust. And yet, in that single instant, the damage is already done—not because the person meant to deceive you, but because the information was never checked. That is precisely what the Maryland State Board of Elections is asking residents to guard against as the state prepares for the 2026 gubernatorial general election. In a recent statement, the Board issued a simple but urgent request: before you share anything about the election, take a moment to verify it. With false or misleading claims swirling about when, where, and how to vote, about election results, and about who is even allowed to cast a ballot, the Board is encouraging Marylanders to become careful consumers of civic information, not just passive passers-along. The concern is not theoretical. From chain text messages to viral social media posts, the systems we rely on for connection are the same systems that can spread confusion at the worst possible time. The Board’s message, however, is not one of despair. It is one of empowerment: every resident has the ability to fact-check, to question, and to report suspicious content. And in doing so, every resident becomes a guardian of the democratic process, not merely for themselves, but for their neighbors, their family, and their community.
To understand why this matters, it helps to understand what the Board is actually warning against. They draw a clear distinction between two kinds of problematic information: misinformation and disinformation. Misinformation is false or misleading information shared without the intent to deceive. Someone might forward an outdated voting schedule, or repeat a rumor they heard from a coworker, or post a screenshot of a post from years ago that no longer applies to the current election cycle. The person sharing it genuinely believes they are being helpful. They are not trying to trick anyone. But the effect can still be harmful. Disinformation, on the other hand, is deliberately manufactured and spread with the intention of fooling voters. It might be designed to make people show up at the wrong polling place, convince them that a candidate has already won or lost, or persuade them that their vote won’t count anyway. The difference may seem academic, but it has real consequences. A voter who reads a false claim about a polling place closing might not go to vote at all. A voter who believes the election is already decided might stay home. A voter who hears that mail-in ballots are frequently thrown out might lose faith in the entire system. None of this happens by accident. These false claims are targeted precisely because they exploit uncertainty and fear. And in a state like Maryland, where election officials are working hard to ensure a smooth and secure process, the spread of such claims threatens to undermine the very trust that makes democracy work. That is why the Board is not simply telling people to be skeptical of others—they are asking people to be responsible with what they share. The antidote to confusion is not silence. It is verification.
So what can an ordinary Marylander actually do? The Board’s recommendations are refreshingly practical and straightforward. First, before you share an election-related post, forward, or message, pause and ask yourself where the information came from. If it came from an official source—like the Maryland State Board of Elections, a local county election office, or a trusted news organization—that’s a good start. If it came from a random account with no citations, or from a friend of a friend, treat it with caution. The Board specifically directs residents to visit elections.maryland.gov for accurate details about the voting process. That website is the definitive source for polling locations, registration deadlines, mail-in ballot rules, sample ballots, and other essential information. But the Board goes a step further: they have established a disinformation portal where residents can report suspicious claims they encounter online. This is not a complaint line for people you disagree with; it is a reporting tool for content that appears to be false, misleading, or deliberately designed to deceive voters. If you see something that makes you pause, you can submit it to the portal, and election officials will investigate. Additionally, the Board maintains something called the Rumor Control Center, which is exactly what it sounds like: a resource where voters can check the accuracy of claims that have recently been circulating. Here, Marylanders can see whether a rumor they have heard is true, false, or still being reviewed. It is a bit like checking the weather before a trip—you do not have to guess, because there is a place where reliable information is collected and made available. The entire approach is designed to make civic responsibility feel doable, not overwhelming. You do not need a law degree or a research team. You just need willingness to check before you share.
The human element of this message comes through most clearly in the words of State Administrator Jared DeMarinis, who framed the issue as a collective responsibility. “Every Marylander can play a role in safeguarding election integrity,” he said in a press release. “By verifying information, reporting dis/misinformation, and relying on trusted sources of information, we help ensure a smooth and secure election process for our fellow Marylanders. Don’t let deception disenfranchise you. Get the facts and make a plan to vote.” There is something deeply personal in that statement. DeMarinis is not issuing a dry warning from a distant bureaucracy; he is speaking directly to the fear that many voters feel when they believe the system cannot be trusted. The phrase “Don’t let deception disenfranchise you” is particularly powerful. It acknowledges that the goal of disinformation is not simply to spread confusion—it is to silence voters. When someone believes a false rumor about a polling location, they may not bother to figure out the real one. When someone believes their ballot will not be counted, they may not send it in. In that way, a lie told about the election process can have the same effect as an illegal voting restriction: it can take away a person’s voice. DeMarinis calls on residents to reject that outcome. Get the facts. Make a plan. Do not let the noise of the internet stop you from participating in the civic life of your state. This is not just advice for first-time voters or for people who are confused; it is a reminder for everyone that democracy requires participation. Voting is not something that happens to you. It is something you do, and doing it well requires accurate information.
Of course, the Board’s warning is not entirely academic. Just days before their statement, Anne Arundel County elections sent out incomplete sample ballots to some voters, a development that could have easily become a breeding ground for confusion. Imagine opening your mailbox, finding a sample ballot that is missing certain races, and wondering whether your district’s ballot had changed, or whether your vote would not count for those positions. In past election cycles, such errors have led to conspiracy theories and viral claims that local elections were rigged or that voters were deliberately being left out. But the real explanation was far more mundane: a human error, an administrative slip, a deadline missed. The Board has not suggested that this incident was intentional, and they have not connected it to the broader warning about misinformation and disinformation. But the timing is a useful reminder that even official-looking mail can be flawed, and that if something seems confusing, the best response is not to assume the worst but to contact the elections office directly for clarification. In a world where a single glitch can be spun into a thousand different stories, the Board’s message about verification feels especially relevant. If a county sends out an incomplete sample ballot, that is a problem to be corrected, not a reason to doubt the entire electoral process. Voters who receive such a document can simply visit the official website, look up their actual ballot, and see what they should expect. The local election board is accountable to the public, and voters have the right to ask questions. The incident also highlights a broader truth: no institution is perfect, but the systems of oversight, reporting, and correction are how trust is maintained. The Board’s call to verify information is not a criticism of voters. It is an invitation to participate in that ongoing process of building trust.
Ultimately, the message from Maryland election officials is one of hope, not cynicism. They are not telling voters that the world is full of liars, or that every post on social media is a trap. They are simply asking people to be mindful, to slow down, and to use their own judgment before amplifying information. That is a profoundly democratic request. In a society where false claims can spread faster than the truth, the most subversive thing an ordinary person can do is to be diligent. Check the source. Visit the official website. Report what seems suspicious. Correct a friend gently when they share something inaccurate, without turning it into an argument. Talk to your neighbors about what you have learned, not because you are trying to convince them to vote a certain way, but because you want everyone to be able to participate without being misled. The Board’s Rumor Control Center and disinformation portal are tools, but they are only as effective as the people who use them. And in the run-up to the 2026 gubernatorial general election, every Marylander has the opportunity to be one of those people. This is not just about one election, one state, or one set of candidates. It is about preserving the basic idea that in a democracy, citizens make decisions based on truthful information. It is about refusing to be manipulated, and equally refusing to let others be manipulated. As DeMarinis reminds us, don’t let deception disenfranchise you. Get the facts. Make a plan. And when you cast your ballot, know that it is the result of your own informed choice, not someone else’s calculated lie. That is the quiet power of a voter who has decided to take the extra few seconds to verify, to question, and to share only what is real. In a noisy world, that kind of calm, deliberate attention is the most human response of all.