Ohio Secretary of State issues warning about text message that could potentially provide voters with inaccurate polling location

Published 6:15 pm Friday, November 4, 2022

Staff report

 

An organization called Voting Futures has announced they will soon be sending text messages to certain individuals in Ohio with information that includes the voter’s polling location – and it’s possible that the information they provide is wrong.

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NBC News reported on Oct. 31 that Voting Futures had been sending text messages in five other states, with many text messages providing inaccurate information.

“Voters in five states received text messages in recent days containing false information about how to vote, but the company that sent them says it was an error,” NBC reported. “The messages appeared to have been personally tailored, with voters getting similar texts identifying names and addresses and purported polling locations, signed by a group called ‘Voting Futures.’

Movement Labs, a company that specializes in political text message campaigns encouraging progressives to vote, said late Monday that it was behind the texts and that it took ‘full responsibility for these mistakes and have issued correction texts.'”

On Friday, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose learned of Voting Futures intended to send text messages to certain Ohio voters beginning on Saturday.

LaRose’s Division of Public Integrity immediately requested that Voting Futures instead encourage voters to use VoteOhio.gov to confirm their voter location, rather than using potentially inaccurate data collected by Voting Futures.

“It’s unclear if the failure of this group’s efforts is intentional or not, but Ohioans should know there is one trusted, official source for voters to determine their voting location, and that’s VoteOhio.gov,” said LaRose. “With Election Day around the corner, misinformation is hitting its crescendo. Our Division of Public Integrity is ready to fight back, and ensure all Ohio voters have the accurate, accessible, and secure election they’ve come to expect.”

Earlier on Friday, Secretary LaRose issued a fact sheet providing all Ohio voters with information they need to know ahead of Election Day. You can view the fact sheet by clicking here: https://www.ohiosos.gov/media-center/press-releases/2022/2022-11-04/