Future Votes: Safeguarding elections in the digital age
The Future Votes report is a reflection of findings from an event held in October 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, by the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society, the Dais, and Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst.
In a world of rising geopolitical tensions and complex global challenges, elections remain one of the most powerful tools for the public to shape democratic governance. In fact, in 2024, the world witnessed a landmark election cycle. Nearly two billion people cast their votes across more than 70 national elections, including in the United States, India, South Korea, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the European Parliament.
As we begin 2025, Canada is facing a pivotal election year, making it all the more important that strategies are put in place to make sure that elections remain free, fair, and secure. Citizens must have confidence in the democratic process, knowing that their votes will be counted accurately, their electoral systems are protected from interference, and their institutions remain transparent and accountable.
Election interference is not new—propaganda campaigns, vote tampering and foreign influence operations have affected election outcomes for decades. However, as technology evolves, so do the threats to democracy. Cyberattacks, social media manipulation, and AI-generated disinformation have introduced new and increasingly sophisticated challenges. The rapid development of artificial intelligence has amplified the speed, scale, and complexity of election interference, making these threats more dynamic and difficult to assess.
Though technology has advanced rapidly, our laws, institutions, enforcement mechanisms, and societal expectations have not. Many nations remain unprepared for AI-related challenges, lacking rules for its use in elections and effective measures to counter AI-driven attacks on democratic institutions—threats that ultimately strike at the heart of democracy and erode public trust in our systems.
Protecting Election Infrastructure
Election security depends on both physical and digital infrastructure. This includes critical components such as voting systems, voter registration databases, and election management software, all of which can be vulnerable to cyberattacks, underscoring the critical importance of safeguarding the entire electoral process.
Safeguarding this infrastructure requires a coordinated effort between governments, security agencies, technology companies, private cybersecurity firms, and civil society. Sharing resources, best practices, and intelligence about emerging threats is essential. To ensure the integrity of elections, cybersecurity cannot be an afterthought—it must be a priority from the outset of election planning.
"Even with the most advanced cybersecurity measures, election security is ultimately a human challenge,” says David Lie, director of SRI. “Defending against threats like fake- and AI-generated content, phishing, and social engineering requires an interdisciplinary approach that combines technical, policy, and social expertise. Protecting election infrastructure isn’t just a technical necessity—it’s essential to preserving democracy itself."
The Battle for the Information Ecosystem
Beyond technical security, a parallel battle is taking place in the information sphere. The rise of AI-generated content, hyper-polarization, and algorithm-driven disinformation has created an environment where falsehoods can spread at unprecedented speeds. Malicious actors exploit this landscape, using tools like bots, deepfake content, and manipulated media to mislead and influence voters, incite division, and erode confidence in democratic institutions.
Addressing these complex challenges requires a multi-pronged approach. One pathway is the use of targeted regulation to address deceptive practices, deepfakes, and online harms while ensuring flexibility to adapt to emerging threats.
"A thriving democracy depends on a reliable information ecosystem, yet election narratives are increasingly shaped by AI-driven disinformation designed to mislead and divide,” says Monique Crichlow, executive director of SRI. “If we fail to confront these threats, we risk an environment where facts lose meaning, trust erodes, and democratic legitimacy is called into question. Protecting elections means not just responding to falsehoods but actively strengthening the foundations of an informed and resilient society."
Future Votes?
Technology has undoubtedly introduced new challenges, but at its core, democracy is still a human-driven process. Public education and awareness will be crucial for building long-term resilience, equipping citizens with the skills to identify cyber threat tactics and navigate the information ecosystem responsibly.
With Canadian elections on the horizon, the importance of defending democracy has never been greater. In October 2024, the SRI co-hosted a half-day event with The Dais and Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst to address election integrity, cyber security, and disinformation in the age of AI. The closed discussion brought together 50+ cybersecurity and disinformation experts from government, academia, industry, and the nonprofit sector to explore election-related security concerns. The result was The Future Votes report, a reflection of key insights and recommendations for policymakers on how we can practically protect our democratic elections.
READ THE REPORT - FUTURE VOTES: A SUMMARY OF FINDINGS FROM A WORKSHOP ON CYBERSECURITY, DISINFORMATION, AND ELECTION INTEGRITY
Upholding election integrity is a shared responsibility—one that requires collaboration across sectors to combat disinformation, strengthen cyber defenses, and safeguard democratic institutions for all future votes.
