Election disinformation is widely seen as a threat to public trust in the integrity of elections and electoral outcomes. While research on its effects has grown, less is known about who is most worried about election disinformation, and why. Perceived exposure, regardless of accuracy, can still increase political cynicism and distrust in democratic institutions, thereby undermining democratic resilience. Yet, evidence is mixed on whether perceptions are shaped by media use, political interest, or partisanship. This study draws on a representative sample of Australian residents to examine threat perceptions of election-related falsehoods during the 2025 federal election. We classify open-ended responses on the types of messages encountered and compare them to respondents’ assessments of three varieties of electoral disinformation: falsehoods about election issues and candidates, electoral processes, and electoral integrity. We then analyse the demographic, partisan, and media-use correlates of perceived exposure, and test whether such perceptions predict the extent to which individuals view election disinformation as a threat. The findings offer new empirical insights into the drivers and consequences of misinformation beliefs in Australia and contribute to broader debates in political communication and comparative politics on information integrity and perceived information disorder.
