Resistbot
  1. United States
  2. Wisc.
  3. Letter

Reject misleading campaign ads, preserve electoral integrity

To: Sen. Ratcliff, Rep. Fitzgerald

From: A verified voter in Waterloo, WI

February 5

The use of doctored or manipulated images in political advertisements raises ethical concerns about misleading voters. An ad from the Republican Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel featured an edited image of his opponent, Susan Crawford, that altered her facial expression from a smile to a closed-lipped look. While the ad's creators claim the image was simply "edited" and not created by artificial intelligence, modifying a candidate's appearance could be seen as an attempt to negatively portray them and unduly influence voters. Maintaining integrity in political advertising is crucial for fair and transparent elections. Voters deserve truthful information to make informed decisions. Using manipulated visuals, even if not technically violating disclosure laws around AI, undermines this principle. A healthy democracy requires campaigns to be honest with the electorate. I urge the Schimel campaign to refrain from further use of altered images or visuals that could misrepresent his opponent. Sticking to factual information and letting voters evaluate the candidates on their merits would better serve the electoral process. Negative campaigning through misleading tactics only erodes public trust. Campaigns should make their case through substantive policy discussions, not visual trickery.

Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare on WhatsAppShare on TumblrEmail with GmailEmail

Write to Melissa Ratcliff or any of your elected officials

Resistbot is a chatbot that delivers your texts to your elected officials by email, fax, or postal mail. Tap above to give it a try or learn more here!