In recent years, both India and Pakistan have seen a preponderance of anti-minority rhetoric, including rumors and dis/misinformation, and an increase in anti-democratic preferences, including support for extrajudicial violence targeting religious and sectarian minority groups. Little is known about which groups of people are most likely to be mobilized by such rhetoric and conversely, be persuaded by corrections or rebuttals to these rumors and misinformation. Equally, how factors such as attitudes towards the state interact with anti-minority rhetoric to influence public perceptions remain key, unanswered questions. In this paper, we ask, what role does exposure to anti-minority rhetoric play in democratic preferences, particularly compared to other possible drivers, such as partisanship or attitudes towards the state? Using a multi-methodological approach across India and Pakistan, encompassing surveys, survey experiments, focus groups, and qualitative interviews collected between 2019 and 2024, we find that, in general, belief in misinformation is causally linked to at least some forms of anti-democratic preferences; however, other variables—including partisanship and perceptions of the state—are also key predictors. We further find that offering corrections to misinformation decreases belief in rumors, reduces support for some forms of vigilantism, and increases the desire to hold vigilantes accountable. This effect is not attenuated by prior distrust towards outgroups.