Jackson, Miss. (DeSoto Times-Tribune) –
Several citizens in northeast Mississippi reported receiving suspicious phone calls from individuals inaccurately purporting to represent TurboVote.org, a voter registration service provided by Democracy Works, which advocates for voter participation across the nation.
The callers asked the citizens to register to vote over the phone, which requires providing the last four digits of a social security or full driver’s license number and date of birth. The callers also said citizens would be automatically provided an absentee ballot upon registering to vote.
Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann has repeatedly urged Mississippians not to provide personal information to individuals over the phone, whether it be for charitable giving, voter registration, or any other purpose.
“In Mississippi, a citizen can only register to vote by submitting an application in-person at a Circuit Clerk’s Office or by mailing a signed voter registration application to the Circuit Clerk’s Office,” Hosemann said. “After registering to vote, a voter must submit a written application for an absentee ballot, which must be obtained from the voter’s Circuit Clerk’s Office.”
The Secretary of State’s Office has confirmed with Democracy Works that the calls are not affiliated with Democracy Works or TurboVote, and TurboVote does not register individuals to vote over the phone.