Alabama Secretary of State John H. Merrill on Tuesday met with representatives from Facebook and Twitter to ensure the Yellowhammer State is prepared for the 2020 election cycle in the evolving war to stop the spread of misinformation online.

This comes after Alabama’s 2017 special election cycle saw partisan disinformation attempts to mislead voters on various social media platforms, including Project Birmingham orchestrated by Democratic operatives.

Merrill since that cycle has worked with leaders from both Facebook and Twitter to prevent similar occurrences.

The secretary of state urged voters to get election-related information directly from his office, which can be done as easily as by accessing the “Vote for Alabama” mobile app.

“It is of paramount importance that the 4.8 million people who make up our state are informed with up-to-date, complete, and accurate information,” Merrill said in a statement. “All election-related information should come directly from our website or from your local election official. We are your trusted source for information related to the elections process.”

During the 2018 midterm election cycle, the Facebook Elections Operation Center removed more than 45,000 pieces of alleged voter suppression and intimidation content across the nation, and their efforts have reportedly only intensified since then. Facebook’s team is constantly working to detect and take down fake networks and accounts.

“We appreciate the support and cooperation of Facebook and Twitter to ensure users are not being misled by blatantly false statements, but instead, are receiving correct information,” Merrill remarked. “Today’s meetings are another indication of how prepared Alabama is as we move toward the 2020 election cycle.”

“Further, election security and protocol is higher than ever in Alabama. We continue to introduce new ways to improve security every single day,” he concluded.

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn