Some voters in Illinois have recently received text messages containing incorrect information about the location of their polling places for Election Day, state officials said Tuesday.
According to a press release from the Illinois State Board of Elections, the unsolicited texts were sent by a group called “Voting Futures.”
The texts listed the recipient’s voting address, state that public records indicate that they have not yet cast a ballot, and then tell them a polling place location that “often is incorrect,” according to state officials.
The state of Illinois has a polling place locator tool on its website, which you can find by following the highlighted link.
Illinois residents are not the only voters who received the misleading text messages. Secretaries of state in both Kansas and New Jersey sent out similar warnings to voters on Monday, according to NBC News, and voters in North Carolina and Virginia also received the messages.
“We want Illinois voters to know that their election information should only come from trusted sources like the State Board of Elections or their local election authority,” BOE Executive Director Bernadette Matthews said in a statement.
Anyone who receives suspicious election-related texts or emails are encouraged to forward screenshots and/or links to scamalert@elections.il.gov.
Local
According to NBC News, a company called Movement Labs took responsibility for the erroneous texts, and said that it had sent “correction texts,” though that was not mentioned in the Illinois BOE’s press release.
In addition to “Voting Futures,” groups called Voto Latino and Black Voters Matter also used the company’s services.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
Top races, voting FAQ and more. Get everything you need before Election Day with our Voters Guide.
