Misinformation has become one of the most predictable features of American elections. In Nevada, as in nearly every other state, each voting cycle brings a fresh wave of false claims, misleading posts, and confusing political mailers—some stemming from simple mistakes, others deliberately engineered to undermine confidence in the democratic process. The effects are not abstract. Misleading information can lead voters to show up at the wrong polling place, to think they are not registered, to believe that mail ballots are unsafe or invalid, or to conclude that their vote will not matter. It can also amplify distrust in the institutions that make elections run, from local election departments to certified election results. Recognizing that this problem requires more than occasional fact-checking, The Nevada Independent has launched a new collaboration with the Center for Media Engagement, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research organization at The University of Texas at Austin. The initiative is called the Local Election Information Monitoring project, and its purpose is straightforward: answer questions from the community, clear up misinformation about elections, and give voters a reliable place to turn when something seems wrong. Leading the project is Eric Neugeboren, The Indy’s politics and data reporter, who has established himself as one of Nevada’s most careful and knowledgeable journalists covering election administration. His reporting has taken readers inside county election offices, explained the complexities of signature verification and ballot counting, and explored how state and local officials prepare for the challenges of each voting season. With the new project, Neugeboren will apply that expertise directly to the task of identifying and correcting misinformation. Importantly, the project is not designed as a top-down effort. Journalists cannot monitor every social media post, every mailbox, or every private message group. The project depends on readers and community members who are willing to share what they see)Skip. That community-centered model is at the heart of the work.
The Center for Media Engagement brings more than just a name to the partnership. It is a serious research organization that has spent years studying how misinformation spreads, how people decide what to believe, and what kinds of corrections actually work. Its research has shown, for example, that fact-checks are more effective when they come from trusted messengers and when they are phrased in clear, accessible language. That insight is central to the Local Election Information Monitoring project. Rather than simply publishing a correction and hoping it reaches the right audience,Skip the project is designed to work through the channels where misinformation actually travels. In Nevada, that means paying close attention to the state’s diverse communities. Elections in Nevada are administered in multiple languages,Skip and a large share of the population speaks Spanish at home. Misinformation often circulates within language-specific social media groups, messaging apps, and neighborhood networks that are not visible to English-language media. To meet that challenge,Skip The Nevada Independent is taking tips in English and Spanish and translating its answers into Spanish as well. This bilingual component is not an afterthought; it is essential to the project’s mission. If a false claim about voting by mail spreads through a Spanish-language WhatsApp group,Skip an English-only correction in a news article will not be enough. The project aims to provide factually accurate, culturally accessible information in the places where voters actually get their information.
At the center of the project is a new public tool that allows ordinary voters to become active participants in the fight against misinformation. Through an online dashboard,Skip readers can submit examples of local election information that might be incorrect or that raises concerns. The submissions may include social media posts with wrong information about where to vote,Skip how to vote,Skip or how elections are run. They can also include political mailers,Skip emails,Skip text messages,Skip flyers,Skip or any other form of election communication. The tool is intentionally broad. A post claiming that same-day registration has been eliminated,Skip a mailer with incorrect polling place hours,Skip or a social media video making misleading claims about ballot counting would all be appropriate to report. The Nevada Independent has made clear that it will not report on or respond to every submission. The volume of misinformation, especially in the weeks before an election,Skip can be overwhelming,Skip and many individual examples may not be newsworthy on their own. But every submission will be reviewed,Skip and the project team will look carefully for trends. If multiple people report the same misleading post,Skip or if a particular type of misinformation starts appearing in several communities,Skip that is a signal that the issue may deserve a news story. The dashboard is described as a way to capture misinformation “in the wild”—meaning the real, everyday falsehoods that voters encounter—rather than only the prominent national stories that other outlets may already be covering. This approach allows The Nevada Independent to focus on misinformation that actually affects Nevada voters,Skip rather than chasing viral content that has little local relevance.
Beyond the dashboard,Skip The Nevada Independent is also offering direct avenues for engagement. Readers can reach Eric Neugeboren directly to share questions,Skip tips,Skip or concerns about election information they have seen. The newsroom has promoted a variety of ways to get in touch,Skip encouraging people to use whatever method feels most comfortable. This openness is important because not everyone wants to fill out an online form. Some people may prefer a quick email,Skip a phone call,Skip or even a conversation at a community event. The project also emphasizes transparency about what happens after a submission is made. While not every tip will receive an individual response,Skip all submissions will be considered. Some will be used only for internal tracking and trend analysis,Skip while others may lead to a direct answer to the person who submitted or to a broader article that helps many people at once. The goal is not to create a complaint system but to build an early warning network. Voters are often the first to see suspicious information,Skip either because it appears in their neighborhood social media group or because it arrives in their mailbox. If something seems off,Skip the newsroom wants to know. Even if the information turns out to be true,Skip knowing that it was circulating can be helpful for understanding public concerns. Misinformation does not just spread through obvious lies; it also spreads through confusion,Skip half-truths,Skip and questions left unanswered. The public dashboard is designed to capture those uncertainties before they harden into false beliefs.
Partnerships are another critical piece of the Local Election Information Monitoring project. The Nevada Independent is actively reaching out to community service organizations,Skip nonprofit groups,Skip and other civic institutions that share an interest in combatting misinformation. These organizations are often deeply connected to the communities they serve,Skip and they are frequently the first to hear about rumors or false claims circulating at church,Skip in community centers,Skip or among neighbors. By partnering with these groups,Skip the project can reach voters in ways that a news article alone cannot. A trusted community leader can share an accurate explanation of same-day registration,Skip for example,Skip in a way that feels more personal and more credible than a distant news organization. The Nevada Independent is providing materials that partner organizations can use with their members,Skip and it has invited groups across the state to join the effort by reaching out directly. The invitation is open to any organization that wants to help keep Nevada voters informed,Skip whether that is a long-established civil rights group,Skip a small neighborhood association,Skip or a nonprofit focused on civic engagement. The collaboration works both ways: the newsroom receives tips and leads from partners,Skip and the partners receive reliable information and resources to share with their communities. In a state as large and varied as Nevada,Skip with urban centers and rural counties,Skip different regions face different challenges. Partnerships help ensure that the project is not just Las Vegas-focused or Reno-focused,Skip but truly statewide.
The launch of the Local Election Information Monitoring project comes at a moment when public confidence in elections is under persistent pressure. Misinformation about election security,Skip voter fraud,Skip ballot counting,Skip and even the basic logistics of voting can cause real harm. It can lead to lower turnout,Skip lost ballots,Skip long lines,Skip and a rising sense that the electoral system cannot be trusted. Nevada has not been immune to these forces,Skip and state and local election officials have frequently had to issue their own corrections and clarifications. But official statements are not always enough. Voters need trusted voices,Skip including journalists,Skip community leaders,Skip and researchers,Skip to provide independent, fact-based information. The Nevada Independent is well-suited to take on that role. As a nonprofit newsroom,Skip it is not driven by clicks or partisan politics,Skip and its reporting has earned a reputation for rigor and fairness. The Center for Media Engagement adds academic depth,Skip and the community adds local knowledge and experience. Together,Skip the partnership aims to build a more resilient information environment in Nevada. The public dashboard is now live,Skip and more information is available on the project’s page, including how to submit a tip,Skip how to contact Eric Neugeboren,Skip and how organizations can obtain materials to share with their members. The invitation is broad because the threat is broad. No single reporter,Skip no single newsroom,Skip and no single research center can stop election misinformation alone. But with the help of voters,Skip community organizations,Skip and concerned residents across the state,Skip it is possible to fight back. The project will succeed if Nevadans embrace it: by reporting what they see,Skip asking questions when something seems wrong,Skip and sharing accurate information with the people around them. In a democracy,Skip accurate information is not a convenience. It is a requirement,Skip and this project is designed to make it available to everyone.