That said, Democrats are still spending heavily on the platform, to the tune of roughly $32 million this year across 19 candidates, outpacing the money they have spent on television ads.

Yet they are being heavily outflanked by the Trump campaign, which has placed digital infrastructure at the center of its campaign strategy. An expert told my colleagues Kevin Roose and Matthew Rosenberg that the digital delta between the Trump campaign and the Democrats is “like a supercar racing a little Volkswagen Bug.”

Also this month, the Trump campaign found itself at the center of a hacking attempt that was apparently backed by the Iranian government. And just yesterday, Facebook announced that it had taken down four state-sponsored disinformation campaigns, three originating in Iran and one in Russia.

All of this illustrates the far-reaching power of the major social platforms, digital strategists say.

“Whether that increase in power and opportunity ends up being more opportunity for mischief (or outright malfeasance), or opportunity to reclaim our civic life, might be up to how much we’re willing to pay attention and take back responsibility and control over the process,” said Michael Slaby, a former digital leader in Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and the chief strategist for Harmony Labs.

So as we gird for the next 12-plus months before Election Day , I hope Tuesdays will serve as a road map through the digital morass. We’ll look at what the campaigns are doing smartly, or not so smartly, online. We’ll assess the spread, and sources, of misinformation. We’ll pick apart notable ads. And we’ll keep an eye on the ongoing effort to secure our elections.

So, even though it’s still early … buckle up.