Vermilion County Clerk warns of voter registration scam

As the November 6, 2018 General Election draws near, Vermilion County Clerk Cathy Jenkins wants to remind voters that Early Voting and Voter Registration is available in her office. In addition, Jenkins stated that recently she has received information that residents have reported receiving phone calls impersonating an organization that provides voter registration assistance and mentions her office and her name. There have been reports that these events are also occurring in other election jurisdictions. The callers asked the recipients if they wanted to register to vote or request an absentee ballot over the phone. The Vermilion County Clerk’s Office does NOT solicit phone calls nor will it ever call you to ask you to register to vote.

These calls raise the possibility of voter confusion or follow-on malicious activity. Those who provide information to the callers will not be registered to vote, potentially causing a large number of unregistered residents to appear at their local polling place on Election Day. We encourage any resident that has received such a phone call to report it to our office immediately.

In addition, voter registration requires residents to provide significant personal information; such as date of birth, physical address, or partial Social Security numbers. It is unclear at this time if the callers requested sensitive personal information required for registration. If provided, this information could be used to attempt fraudulent voter registration or conduct financially-motivated identity theft. Clerk Jenkins encourages all residents to be vigilant and cautions about giving any personal information to any caller for any reason.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the office of the Vermilion County Clerk at (217)554-1900. Jenkins also wants voters to know that Vermilion County uses the most secure cyber-security computer hygiene available in the office and the security of the voting process is of the utmost importance to her office, the county, and our democracy.

DANVILLE, Ill. (WICS/WCCU) — undefined