Iran, Russia are Trying to Influence Upcoming US Election, Security Officials Say

Iran and Russia are trying to influence the public about the upcoming US election, said national security officials Wednesday night.

Also in the effort to influence the US election, officials warned that both Iran and Russia also obtained some information about voters, reported CNBC.

"Iran and Russia have taken specific actions to influence public opinion" on the November 3 US election, said Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe in a news conference.

Ratcliffe said they first found out that the information was obtained by Iran, then Russia in a separate event.

He said the data can be used in an attempt to tell false information to voters. With the false information, voters will become confused and chaos could ensue.

Ratcliffe said these efforts could "undermine your confidence in American democracy."

Security officials also discovered that Iran was responsible for sending threatening emails to Democratic voters, reported BBC.

Ratcliffe described the emails as "spoofed" and was "designed to intimidate voters." He added that these could "incite social unrest and damage President [Donald Trump]."

He said the emails appeared to come from a far-right pro-Trump group.

While voter information was obtained by Russia, officials did not find spoof emails coming from there.

Other than the emails, Ratcliffe said Iran is also sending out content that encourages casting fraudulent ballots even from overseas.

After the press conference, The Washington Post reported on state and local warnings about hostile emails sent to Democratic voters.

The campaign was said to be also a campaign from Iran with members posing as part of the far-right group Proud Boys.

An official from the Department of Homeland Security told election administrators Wednesday that there were holes found on their election websites.

According to the Post, the messages were sent to some voters in swing states. It said "vote for Trump on Election Day or we will come after you."

Analysts believe this effort against Democratic voters was done to prompt complaints about a group associated with Trump.

FBI Fights Off US Election Interference

Speaking after Ratcliffe was FBI Director Christopher Wray. He said the bureau is "not going to tolerate foreign interference" of the coming election.

He wanted to ensure that voters will not lose confidence in the outcome of the election.

"You should be confident that your vote counts," Wray said.

The White House has been briefed about the FBI's findings.

The officials did not disclose how voter information was obtained. They did not offer any theories as to what Russia could be doing with the information as well.

Getting US Election Data

National Conference of State Legislatures stated many states can grant voter data upon request. But each state has different requirements on who can file requests, what data is available and how it might be used.

Ratcliffe warned that if voters receive any intimidating email, they should not be alarmed and asked not to spread the email. The same goes for getting any manipulative content.

He said the actions done by the two countries were "attempts by desperate adversaries."

The announcement was made less than two weeks before the presidential election.

Check these out:

Could Latino Voters Tip the Election to Favor Trump?

Latino Voters in Florida Bombarded With Election Disinformation

Presidential Debate Commission Adopts New Rule of Muting Mics for Trump, Biden