Local U.S. election officials try to ward off 'virus' of disinformation in November

Workers separated by plexiglass begin to inspect returned ballots at the Thurston County Ballot Processing Center in Tumwater, Washington, U.S. July 23, 2020. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As the clock ticks toward the U.S. presidential election in November, state election officials are devoting more time - and money - to educating voters about the dangers of disinformation while reassuring them that the system is fundamentally sound.

On a recent Zoom call, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, the state's top election official, ran through slides showing altered Facebook photographs, misleading tweets from the last presidential election and photographs of Russian hackers.