Don’t Be Fooled by Racially-Charged Robocalls Spreading False Info on Mail-in-Voting [VIDEO]
Don't answer it. That's the point we've gotten to regarding unknown numbers that come up on our cellphones and landline. (Yes, we still have a landline. I'll give you a moment to make fun of me.)
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel are sending out a warning that a robocall trying to persuade voters not to use mail-in-voting is racially-charged and is full of false information. Benson calls the tactic which targets voters in Michigan "unconscionable, indefensible, [and a] blatant attempt to lie to citizens about their right to vote.
“The call preys on voters’ fear and mistrust of the criminal justice system – at a moment of historic reckoning and confrontation of systemic racism and the generational trauma that results – and twists it into a fabricated threat in order to discourage people from voting.”
The audio from the call is embedded in the YouTube video below. It falsely warns that voting-by-mail can lead to mishandled personal information and even arrest.
"Your personal information will be part of a public database that will be used by police departments to track down old warrants," the call states. "The CDC is even pushing to give records for mail-in-voting to track people for mandatory vaccines."
Jonathan Kinloch, the Democratic Chair of Michigan's 13th congressional district said the call is targeting minority voters and preying on their fears.
"They know how a lot of the black residents are afraid of the police," Kinloch said. "They have consistently -- every election cycle -- targeted black people to try to disenfranchise us, so this isn't something new."
Don't fall for any of it. Don't bother answering.