Text Messages from a Group Called ‘Voting Futures’ Have Already Been Sent in Five Other States
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. NBC News reported on October 31st 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.
[…]
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, the office of the Ohio Secretary of State learned of Voting Futures intention to send text messages to certain Ohio voters beginning on Saturday. The 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. With Election Day around the corner, misinformation is hitting its crescendo.
Voting Futures texts in other states have looked similar to the following:
