'DO NOT CLICK': Pennsylvania voters get fake text messages about voter registration

Multiple commonwealth residents have reported receiving text messages from scammers about their voter registration being not legitimate, election officials report.

The automated messages are sent through various numbers, telling residents, "We have you in our records as not registered to vote" along with various companion links. Election officials have warned these links are fake and possibly dangerous.

Lebanon County Elections Director Sean Drasher warned residents "DO NOT CLICK" this link.

"People in the County have been getting these text messages, as well as others that look similar, and they are NOT FROM US," he said to the Lebanon Daily News. "They are not official elections messages of any kind."

Many of these messages are confirmed to be smishing messages that will corrupt the users’ phones if clicked, Drasher added. Smishing messages are used to trick people into sharing sensitive information or download malware.

Pennsylvania Department of State officials said they are aware of these messages, and they have been reported, and condemns any attempt to mislead Pennsylvanians about their voter registration status. Officials added that residents should not be alarmed, but they should be vigilant.

"Voters should be aware that opportunistic bad actors may attempt to use this campaign season to send phishing or smishing emails/texts," spokesperson Matt Heckel said in an email. "The Department of State does not use third parties to contact voters, and text messages and emails from the Department never make mention of a voter’s specific record. They only serve as reminders of upcoming election deadlines and always include our vote.pa.gov url."

Department officials also said that voters should not click on the links "unless they are certain that the message is from a credible source," and residents should never provide personal identifying information in response to these messages.

Lebanon County’s Bureau of Registration and Elections reports that one clerk alone received 100 calls about the messages. Drasher said residents have reported there are multiple messages, leading residents to falsely believe there are problems with their registration when nothing is wrong.

"These messages undoubtedly sometimes come from third party groups that are attempting to do good by helping people turn out to vote," Drasher said. "Its not always a hostile actor.  However, the way the messages are phrased drives voter panic."

Voters can visit the Attorney General’s website to learn more about protecting themselves from smishing scams and how to report them.

If residents wish to check on their voter status they can visit vote.pa.gov .

Election Info

The Pennsylvania 2024 general election is scheduled for Nov. 5. The last day to register to vote is Oct. 21. The last day to request a mail-in or absentee ballot is Oct. 29.

For voters seeking accurate information on their registration status, the Department maintains a lookup tool at vote.pa.gov/status . It also maintains a tracker for mail ballot applications and status, at vote.pa.gov/mailballotstatus .

Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on X at @DAMattToth .

This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: 'DO NOT CLICK': Pennsylvania voters get fake text messages about voter registration