DOUGLAS FRANK’s DANGEROUS ELECTION LIES COME TO OREGON
An Ohio math teacher and election denier, Douglas Frank has taken his roadshow to meetings across Oregon, from Coos County to Hillsboro to Baker City. Frank delivers a carefully rehearsed routine at these meetings, using flashy charts, formulas, and statistics. But data experts and election officials have reviewed Frank’s claims and come to the same conclusion: They’re false.
That hasn’t stopped Frank. Bankrolled by MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, Frank has given hundreds of presentations since he first started repeating false claims about the 2020 election. In 2023, The L.A. Times reported that Frank wanted to “upend voting in America,” noting his claims about elections have been “disproved and dismissed by election experts and fact checkers.” Even Frank himself has said that his goal is “starting little fires everywhere” and then coming back to “throw gasoline on those fires.”
Election deniers like Frank want to create distrust, fear, and confusion in our communities. The policies they support are designed to keep everyday people from exercising our right to vote. It’s not always easy to spot election deniers: They often use scientific language to make their false claims seem reasonable and legitimate.
But their claims aren’t just false – they’re dangerous. As election conspiracy theories have spread, local election workers have faced a wave of harassment and violent threats. Inspired by Frank and other election deniers, so-called “voter integrity” groups have reportedly gone to the homes of specific voters – including in Southern Oregon – aggressively questioning residents and wearing official-looking IDs that say “voter task force.”
We don’t have to accept disinformation and voter intimidation. In Oregon, we can come together to protect our free and fair elections. By exercising our right to vote and sharing accurate information with our neighbors, we can stop conspiracy theories from taking root and keep fear from spreading in our communities.