In a June 9 essay, columnist Thomas B. Edsall recalls a 1967 Baltimore election where a Czech‑American machine used a midnight phone bank and window‑smashing to suppress white‑liberal turnout and rally Czech voters. The tactics, described by an unnamed judge, secured two incumbent seats despite a growing Black challenge and illustrate how race‑baiting and intimidation shaped voter behavior long before digital tools today.

Edsall argues that modern campaigns wield artificial intelligence, influencers and ads to replicate those old deceptions. Law professor Richard Pildes warns that “dark money” disclosures have collapsed since Citizens United, while media fragmentation leaves voters in epistemic silos. N.Y.U. colleague Bob Bauer adds that polarized politics turns any loss into a moral imperative, widening the appetite for deceit.

Both scholars conclude that today’s election ecosystem combines cheap, high‑volume voter contact with opaque financing, pushing influence tactics to their lowest point since the 1960s. With campaign spending now several times 1980 levels and disclosure rules stagnant, the balance tilts toward hidden manipulation rather than an informed electorate. Consequently, advertisers and data firms face heightened scrutiny from regulators.