In mysterious robocalls, Texas voters are told they aren’t supposed to vote until tomorrow
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... e-updates/ 5:49 p.m. Eastern
A wave of suspicious robocalls has bombarded voters in Texas, apparently trying to convince local Democratic voters that they aren’t supposed to cast their ballots until tomorrow.
The calls have raised red flags with state election officials, who warned the public about them Tuesday, and prompted frustration among area Democratic leaders, who said the barrage could be a form of voter suppression.
“What they were saying was — if you’re a Democrat, you’re supposed to vote tomorrow; if you’re a Republican or independent, you’re supposed to vote today,” said Trey Arnold, political director for the Dallas County Democratic Party.
“Of course, this is a form of voter suppression. This is a way to confuse a lot of people who just don’t know today is Super Tuesday and can get confused,” he said, noting that it could be particularly problematic with older voters. The suspect calls appear to have come from at least two numbers bearing a San Antonio area code, according to people who have received them.
The numbers themselves may be spoofed, meaning the real person or organization behind the unsolicited messages are masquerading their efforts to make it appear as if they are calling from valid numbers nearby. Local Democratic operatives and other frustrated voters reported the calls to the Texas secretary of state, whose office soon issued a warning on Twitter about “reports of robocalls stating misinformation” about Election Day.
Stephen Chang, a spokesman for the office, said it, in turn, had shared information with federal security officials. Robocalls represent a massive, national headache: An estimated 4.8 billion such automated calls were placed to consumers in February, according to YouMail, which offers a call-blocking app.
The deluge of unwanted contacts prompted Congress recently to adopt a law giving federal authorities greater powers to find, and penalize, violators. A Post reporter called one of the suspect numbers Tuesday. “Hello, we are currently conducting polling in your area, thank you very much,” said a brief, seemingly prerecorded message before the line went dead.
It is an unfortunate human failing that a full pocketbook often groans more loudly than an empty stomach.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt