Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender wants to warn voters about fake text messages regarding their ballots. The messages are false and have raised concerns from our election workers and voters.
- “The text is not just for Escambia County,” Bender said. “It’s going around nationwide, so they’ve got the same good friend that just finished their poll manager training.”
Several important things to note:
1. We do not have a position called Poll Manager.
2. We do not have “pass/fail” training.
3. Election workers are instructed not to write on ballots.
4. Ballots are not “disqualified.”
5. If there are any stray or “unreadable” marks on the ballot that will affect tabulation, the DS300 is programmed to alert the voter and the voter can get a new ballot.
There is a small “official use” box on the top right of the ballot that is only used for voters who are voting a provisional or vote-by-mail ballot. This is to ensure proper handling of the ballot.
- It is unclear where this messaging originated from.
If you receive questionable information about the upcoming elections, please reach out to the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Office.
- The Supervisor of Elections Office is your official trusted source of election information. They can be reached at 850-595-3900 or SOE@escambiavotes.gov.
