A bill aimed at combating false political advertisements on social media, text messages, and phone calls has been passed by the North Dakota Senate. House Bill 1204, sponsored by Rep. Mike Schatz, received overwhelming support with a 45-1 vote and will now move back to the House for approval of an amendment introduced by Sen. Sean Cleary.
The amendment added text messages and phone calls to the original bill that already covered social and commercial media posts. Sen. Cleary emphasized the need for laws to adapt to the changing landscape of election communications, particularly in light of his own experience as the campaign manager for a U.S. House candidate during the 2024 election.
During that election, the candidate, Julie Fedorchak, faced false accusations in the form of anonymous text messages sent to voters claiming she had dropped out of the race. Fedorchak denounced the messages as election fraud and a desperate attempt to manipulate and discourage voters. The incident highlighted the importance of addressing deceptive political tactics that can be spread through new mediums like text messages.
The passing of this bill reflects North Dakota’s commitment to ensuring the integrity of the electoral process and protecting voters from misleading information. By expanding the scope of the law to include modern forms of communication, legislators hope to maintain transparency and trust in the political discourse within the state.
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