Disrupting democracy: how informational pathways and misinformation shape trust in election results

Recent electoral cycles have renewed concerns around democratic backsliding as political elites systematically use misinformation and disinformation to undermine electoral integrity. Focusing on the 2022 Presidential Elections in Brazil, this study leverages a three-wave panel design to examine how beliefs in electoral misinformation and citizens’ media habits explain changes in citizens’ levels of trust in the election results. Our findings underscore the potential of mainstream media use to strengthen electoral trust, with consistently positive associations among voters – highlighting the contribution of professional journalism to democratic resilience. By contrast, citizens who believed disinformation targeting electoral integrity exhibited declining levels of electoral trust, pointing to a pathway through which elite rhetoric can erode democratic legitimacy. These results highlight both the important role of mainstream media in increasing democratic resilience and the dangers of elite-driven attacks on electoral legitimacy. As digital platforms continue to shape political discourse and increasingly challenge conventional pathways for citizens to become informed, understanding how informational environments influence trust in elections is essential for understanding democratic resilience in contemporary democracies.