Election misinformation is a problem in any language. But some gets more attention than others

A woman checks for her name before casting her vote at a polling station during the Telangana state assembly elections in Hyderabad, India, on Nov 30, 2023. From April 19 to June 1, nearly 970 million Indians – or over 10% of the world’s population – will vote in the country's general elections. It's one of several high-profile elections around the world this year that are highlighting concerns about online election misinformation. — AP

WASHINGTON: Warnings about deepfakes and disinformation fuelled by artificial intelligence. Concerns about campaigns and candidates using social media to spread lies about elections. Fears that tech companies will fail to address these issues as their platforms are used to undermine democracy ahead of pivotal elections.

Those are the worries facing elections in the US, where most voters speak English. But for languages like Spanish, or in dozens of nations where English isn't the dominant language, there are even fewer safeguards in place to protect voters and democracy against the corrosive effects of election misinformation. It's a problem getting renewed attention in an election year in which more people than ever will go to the polls.