Reports Of False Text Messages Crop Up In Several States

***SEE UPDATE BELOW***

This could be a cheap (if elaborate) hoax, but bloggers in multiple states are posting cell phone photos of text messages urging Obama supporters to vote on Wednesday, November 5.

First reports of the false text message came from writers in Arizona and Texas. Meanwhile, the Huffington Post received another image from a source who said he received a similar text message in Illinois. [UPDATE: Another reader in Georgia chimes in with an indentical claim.]

The new image, courtesy of St. Louis software engineer Matt Gatten, shows a phone featuring a message that reads: "Due to the long lines today, all Obama voters are asked to vote on Wednesday. Thank you! Please forward to everyone!"

Gatten said he was a "little bit mad" when he received the message. "I did a reverse look up on the number that sent it, and it came from San Antonio, Texas," Gatten told the Huffington Post. "It made me mad. They're stealing votes that way. It's like spam: if it didn't work, people wouldn't be doing it."

Of course, it's hard to believe that a large number of voters could be fooled by such a ruse. Sorting out voters by candidate would quite obviously destroy the notion of a secret ballot. But if the tactic is as widespread as it seems, it might suggest that operatives are using every last trick at their disposal -- with only a few hours left before this election is in the books for good.

UPDATE: A student at the University of Florida says the fraudulent text-message campaign has become so widespread that a campus-wide advisory has been emailed out:

Dear Students,

A number of University of Florida students have reported receiving a text
message today claiming that voting has been extended until Wednesday. This
message is NOT legitimate and it should be ignored. Voting concludes today
-- Tuesday, Nov. 4 -- and polls close at 7 p.m.

If you have any questions, please call the Alachua County Supervisor of
Elections office at 352-374-[redacted].

Patricia Telles-Irvin
Vice President for Student Affairs

Comments

[GregJL]

I'm just trying to figure out how anyone with the intelligence to receive a text message would fall for this. You would think they MIGHT say "Wait, if it's a secret ballot, then how would they know if someone voted for Obama today?" Course, you would think the ones with intelligence enough to SEND a text message might have thought about that too....

[AnotherToerag]

People are gullible.
Also, intelligence is not a pre-requisite to be able to vote.

...just look at who won POTUS in the 2000 and 2004 elections.

[k1k2lee]

I GOT ONE TOO!!! I'm in California and I'd like to know who to report this to. I signed up for text alerts from the Obama campaign and those are the ONLY text messages I get. So, before reading this I thought it was from the Obama campaign. Then I read it and realized it was a hoax. But there may be many folks who are less informed and if these are the only text messages they get, then they might believe them.

Who do we report this to???

[BellGirl08]

hmmm anyone surprised it's coming from Texas??? The land of Rove, DeLay, Ken Lay, and many other crooks.

They will stop at nothing to stay in power.

[Gericault]

National Call Team,
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/4/153043/224/133/652783

Action: Just received urgent email from Obama Campaign

Barack needs your help right now -- our data indicates that the results will
be very close in many states. I can't emphasize enough how urgent this
message is. Please go to our website and start calling as soon as you can.

We are not going to hit our goal of 500,000 calls for today by 3pm Central, unless we get at least 2,000 more people calling for the next hour.

Can you call now and continue for as long as you can manage?

[VeroucaSalt]

Prosecute the perps to the fullest extent of the law. The consequences should be dire to deter future voter tampering.

[MissElaineous]

This is why we voted early.

[DBtv]

The last gasps of a failed and marginalized republic party whose day is done.

The New American Renaissance begins NOW.

[Aleka4]

Isnt this stuff illegal?

[old lady]

Lets track down these suckers and try them for treason.

[KeepMeLearning]

I agree that any voter/voting interference should be considered an act of treason--and fully prosecuted as such.

[ccarmona]

Why do they hate America?

[joyfulgirl]

Oh, come on people, have a sense of humor. My brother (voted for McCain) sent me this same exact text today (I voted for Obama). BTW, I sent him back a text that said that Carolina blue is going to have a whole new meaning after tonight (we live in NC). Chill out and cheer up. Barack Obama will be the President of the United States of America come January.

[old lady]

Your brother has committed an act of vote tampering - a federal offense, and in my view treasonous. You have a warped sense of humor.

[bbridges1962]

What is your brother's full name??

[sticksnstones]

You gotta look at the big picture, joyfulgirl. People who live in a fa-sc-ist society don't come to live in one overnight. They arrived there after their civil liberties had been whittled away incrementally over time. Voter tampering falls into their bag of tricks. And, for now at least, it's illegal.

[joyfulgirl]

I apologize if I offended anyone. My brother sent it to me as a joke and I knew that. I realize that there is real voter suppression out there and I am thankful for this site bringing forth the information so that it can be investigated and hopefully brought to a halt.

[PleaseMakeItStop]

These calls should be easy to trace and the culprits put in jail.

[jbs902]

Really anyone with half a brain should not believe this crap! Treat it like annoying suspicious emails delete. It just shows the basic idiocy of the butholes sending this stuff out!

[old lady]

The half brains are the ones sending out this vote tampering garbage. It must be taken seriously and reported... it's not junk mail, its vote tampering.

[Gingersp]

You are right that no one SHOULD believe this. Same for the butterfly ballot in Florida in 2000. But the last I heard, an IQ test was not a requirement to vote and in some states, even a very few falling for this or any other scam could make a difference. I agree that this is no joke and whoever is responsible should be prosecuted. We need to start getting tough and showing that this will not be tolerated.

[DJ01]

Last I heard you didn't need a high IQ to live in the land of the free! Sorry even stupid people have the right to voice their opinions.

[iPolitics]

Republican domestic terror*sts

[whit4brains]

The people doing this should be prosecuted and made an example of. I am sick of these tactics. I will not forget on Wednesday and all of us should start demanding LOUDLY that our voting system be fixed and that tactics like these shouldn't be allowed to happen with no consequences.

[KeepMeLearning]

I agree with you--and I also think we should take on the election commissions around the country who were ill-prepared and/or did not take the necessary steps to make sure everyone could vote. If they do not provide the means necessary to do so they are violating our constitutional rights as much as the text spammers.