The group found that search terms such as "register to vote," "vote by mail" and "where is my polling place" generated ads linking to websites that charge fees for voter registration, harvest user data, or plant unwanted software on people''s browsers.

Google says such ads are prohibited on its platform.

"We are committed to protecting users from abuse on our platforms, especially when it comes to information about elections," said Google spokeswoman Charlotte Smith on Monday.

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