Korean election body's efforts to curb conspiracy theories backfire amid ballot shortages
m.hani.co.kr
South Korea's election body tried to silence ballot-fraud conspiracy theories — and then accidentally made them worse by printing too few ballots, a textbook backfire effect in action.
Backfire EffectConspiracy Theory EpistemologyTrust and Legitimacy TheoryUnintended Consequences
Theory Briefing
- South Korea's National Election Commission printed fewer ballots to counter conspiracy theories about surplus ballots being used for fraud.
- The shortage of ballots at polling stations then fueled fresh accusations of electoral manipulation, amplifying the distrust it tried to suppress.
- The episode illustrates the Backfire Effect: corrective actions taken to reduce misinformation can entrench and spread it further.