Russian Troll Farms Target U.S. Election with Fake Voting Videos in Georgia

Fabricated Video Claims Immigrants Voting Illegally

In a video posted on social media platform X on Thursday, a man claiming to be a Haitian immigrant alleges that he has already voted in Gwinnett County, Georgia, and is on his way to vote again in Fulton County. The man, who says he arrived in the United States six months ago, claims to have obtained citizenship quickly. Seated next to another alleged Haitian immigrant, he attempts to depict illegal voting activities.

State and federal officials quickly identified the video as likely Russian disinformation. “This is fake and part of a disinformation effort. Likely, it is a product of Russian troll farms,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger stated. On Friday, federal agencies, including the FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, confirmed the video was manufactured by Russian operatives aiming to erode confidence in the election process.

Storm-1516: The Disinformation Engine

The video is the latest in a series of deceptive media linked to a Russian operation known as Storm-1516. Researchers from Clemson University have traced this group back to Russia’s Internet Research Agency (IRA), which interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Storm-1516 specializes in staged videos distributed through online influencers and fake news outlets. Recently, Storm-1516 produced other false videos, including one showing ballots marked for Donald Trump being destroyed in Pennsylvania and unfounded accusations against Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz.

Escalating Election Misinformation

Darren Linvill, co-director of Clemson University’s Media Forensics Hub, quickly questioned the video’s authenticity. Linvill’s team identified stylistic markers consistent with Storm-1516’s tactics, which often emphasize divisive themes. The video was initially posted on an X account, which later deleted it, citing concerns about accuracy. “The Russians understand these divisions, and they exploit them to spread their messages,” Linvill explained.

Social Media Platforms Respond

After Raffensperger’s public call, X began removing posts featuring the video under its Civic Integrity Policy. Facebook also flagged the video, informing users of its Russian origins, and other accounts connected to Storm-1516 were suspended.

Storm-1516’s Evolution and Tactics

Storm-1516 is viewed as an evolution of the IRA, which Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, founded. Prigozhin, who died in 2023, also established the Russian Foundation to Battle Injustice in 2021, believed to be a successor to the IRA. According to Clemson researchers, Storm-1516 now employs real individuals rather than bots, reflecting a shift in Russian tactics to adapt to a changing U.S. information landscape.

Experts Warn of Continued Misinformation Attacks

As Election Day nears, CISA officials are cautioning Americans to stay alert for more Russian attempts to sow doubt. “We are very concerned about how foreign adversaries will act post-Election Day, as election officials across the country work to certify results,” a senior CISA official emphasized.

Linvill anticipates that more deceptive videos from Storm-1516 will emerge, each crafted to exploit existing political tensions. “I’m sure they’ve got them queued up,” he warned, highlighting foreign interference as a critical challenge to U.S. election security.