I received a suspicious automated phone call recently concerning voter registration. I emailed the North Carolina State Board of Elections. Here is the exchange.
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:59:43 -0700 (PDT)
From: “J.S.Brown”
Subject: Phone call about voter registration
To: elections.sboeI just received a phone call. It was a recorded message that said something like this:
“Hello. This is Lamont Williams. In a few days you should be getting a voter registration form in the mail. Please fill it out and return promptly and you will be able to vote. Thank you.”
Is this legitimate? I thought I was already registered to vote. Should I ignore whatever arrives in my mailbox concerning voter registration? And who is Lamont Williams?
Subject: FW: Phone call about voter registration
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:42:53 -0400
From: “Don Wright”
To: “J.S.Brown”The State Board of Elections knows nothing of this. If you get anything from this man or group, fax to my attention at [FAX NUMBER REMOVED] and we will investigate.
Don Wright
General Counsel
The automated phone call seems, to me, like an attempt to trick new, unregistered, and unsure voters into submitting sensitive personal information. So far, I haven’t yet received any mail about voter registration. For now, it’s no more than a suspicious phone call. I advise everyone to be cautious.
I apologize for not posting this sooner.
Tags: fraud, Lamont Williams, politics, registration, skepticism, vote
31 May, 2008 at 5:01 am
Sounds highly suspicious to me too. I don’t know about NC, but in CO you’re automatically registered to vote for the next election when you vote. You go down to the DMV to register for the first time. There are just too many scams flying around every time one turns around anymore, I trust nothing!