For two decades her neighbors have trusted Cindy Elgan to run elections in her small corner of Nevada. "I do not trust the results from the 2020 election," said Mary Jane Zakas, a retired schoolteacher who backs an effort to recall Elgan as county clerk.

Truth is boring, facts are boring, and outrage is really interesting,” says one election official. “It’s like playing whack-a-mole with truth.”

In the final days of the presidential election, lies about noncitizens voting, the vulnerability of mail-in ballots and the security of voting machines are spreading widely over social media.