Election deniers use Telegram to rally poll watchers in US swing states [Video]

WASHINGTON – Conspiracy theorists who believe Donald Trump won the 2020 US election are making plans online to monitor and film polling places in US swing states, an effort that civil rights groups say risks suppressing voter turnout.

Organisers in Arizona, North Carolina, Wisconsin and elsewhere have created communities on messaging app Telegram to coordinate observation of voting locations and ballot boxes, according to a trove of documents released by pro-transparency group Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets).

Tens of thousands of so-called election deniers are involved in conversations on Telegram about preventing what they say will be widespread fraud in the Nov 5 election, according to documents and social media conversations seen by Bloomberg News.

Participants are asked to volunteer to watch polls during specific hours, take note of what they deem as suspicious activity and share video footage with local law enforcement agencies.

Demands for poll watchers in closely …