As first noted this morning by Progress Florida on Twitter, some voters in Florida are receiving calls telling them that they can now vote by phone because of a new law:
This is not true. There is no such law and you cannot vote by phone.
These calls aren't just happening in Florida. They're just another deceptive maneuver aimed at voter suppression taking place across the country.
From 866ourvote.org:
The Election Protection hotline has received reports of voters in Florida and Virginia receiving calls telling them that a new law has passed that allow voters to vote by phone with just a name and address. The caller knows the voter’s name, address and party affiliation.
Voters CAN NOT vote by phone in any state. If you receive a call telling you that you can vote by phone, ask the caller what organization they are with. When you hang up, immediately dial *69 or if you have caller ID, write down the number the call came from. Please also call 866-OUR-VOTE immediately to report the call.
From The Huffington Post:
Some African American, Spanish-speaking and elderly voters in Florida and Virginia are apparently being targeted by anonymous voter-suppression groups trying to trick them or intimidate them into not voting in the November presidential election, according to election officials and voter protection organizations.
The Virginia State Board of Elections is warning residents that "some Virginia voters, particularly older Virginians, are receiving phone calls from unidentified individuals informing voters that they can vote over the phone. This information is false."....The lawyers' committee is also investigating reports from callers into African-American and Spanish-language radio stations in Florida that they had received warnings over the phone that election officials would be checking car insurance and registration status at the polls.
....In Florida, the voter who alerted the hotline described a phone call in which the caller said that a new law has passed that allows voters to vote by phone with just a name and address, he said. The caller knew the voter’s name, address and party affiliation.
Marshall said the caller evidently had access to voter rolls, and read back the information "to make it sound more official." "This isn't necessarily a new tactic," he said. "But it's early."
The article goes on to say that this tactic may be being used earlier than usual due to early voting, and voting by mail taking place right now, like that in Florida.
Ballots began arriving in Florida voters households last week. Normally early voting favors Republicans, but this year record numbers of Democrats in Florida are also taking advantage of voting early by mail.
You can read the press release on the "vote by phone" scam from the Virginia State Board Of Elections here.
