Elections are never just about ballots and results; they are about trust. In Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC, is the institution that carries the weight of that trust on its shoulders. It is the referee, the record-keeper, and the final voice on many electoral matters. But in a world where information moves faster than verification, trust can be shaken by a single well-crafted lie. This week, INEC found itself dealing with exactly that kind of situation. A viral online publication appeared, pretending to be a special announcement from the commission about governorship candidates in six states. The…

It began with a bad case of the flu. On September 30, James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas, was supposed to sit down for an in-person interview with the Texas Hispanic Business Council. Instead, he moved it online and explained why: he had spent the night at an urgent care clinic in Dallas and had been diagnosed with influenza. It was an ordinary, human moment — the kind of minor health update that most politicians share and most voters forget. But in the hypercharged atmosphere of a midterm election, nothing stays ordinary for long. Within days,…