Concerns Over Voter Phone Call Scam

Secretary Williams: Be careful about calls requesting voter information

DENVER, Sept. 9, 2016 – State and county election officials have received numerous complaints this week from Colorado voters who are concerned about phone calls that appear to be an effort to obtain their personal and sensitive information.

During the automated calls, voters are advised their registration is incorrect and needs to be updated before they can receive a ballot for the November election. But both Democrats and Republicans who have received the calls told the Colorado Secretary of State’s office or their county clerk that their registrations are current. At least one person reported being asked to provide a full date of birth after selecting the option for “more information.”

The individuals also have reported that the calls are from an organization identifying itself as “Go Vote CO” or “Go Vote Colorado.” Some voters believe the Secretary of State is somehow involved because that name is similar to the web address of the Secretary of State’s online voter registration system (www.GoVoteColorado.com). 

The Secretary of State’s office does not contact individual voters regarding voter registration issues except to respond to inquiries initiated by voters themselves.  Secretary of State Wayne Williams  reminds Colorado residents not to disclose sensitive personal information, such as month and day of birth, driver’s license or state-issued ID numbers, or Social Security numbers to any person or organization they do not know and trust, whether by telephone or otherwise.

Anyone with information concerning the individuals or organization responsible for conducting this telephone solicitation campaign identifying itself as “Go Vote Colorado” or “Go Vote CO” is asked to contact Elections Division legal analyst Chris Amero at 303-894-2200 ext. 6389 or chris.amero@sos.state.co.us at the Secretary of State’s office.

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ELECTION INFORMATION:

Election Offenses:

C.R.S. 1-13-106 Forgery- Any person who falsely makes, alters, forges, or counterfeits any ballot before or after it has been cast, or who forges any name of a person as a signer or witness to a petition or nomination paper, or who forges any letter of acceptance, declination, or withdrawal, or who forges the name of a registered elector to a voter’s mail-in or mail ballot commits forgery which is a class five 5 felony.

C.R.S. 1-13-112 Offenses relating to mail ballots – Any person who, by use of force or other means, unduly influences an elector to vote in any particular manner or to refrain from voting, or who falsely makes, alters, forges, or counterfeits any mail ballot before or after it has been cast, or who destroys, defaces, mutilates, or tampers with such a ballot shall be punished by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars, or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than eighteen months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

C.R.S. 1-13-704.5 (1) Voting by persons not entitled to vote – penalty- Any person voting in any election provided by law knowing that he or she is not entitled to vote in such election commits a class 5 felony.

C.R.S. 1-13-707.5 Tampering with ballot box – Any person who willfully tampers with or who, except as provided by law, willfully breaks open any ballot box, including a drop-off box location receptacle, is guilty of a class 5 felony.

C.R.S. 1-13-709.5 Residence – false information – penalty- Any person who votes by knowingly giving false information regarding the elector’s place of present residence commits a class 5 felony.

C.R.S. 1-13-710 Voting twice – penalty – Any voter who votes more than once or, or offers to vote again in the state, or during a federal election, votes in this state and another state, shall be punished by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than eighteen months, or both such fine and imprisonment.

The Prowers County Clerk and Recorder will turn over evidence of any election offenses to the District Attorney’s office for investigation and prosecution.

The Election Department can be reached at 719-336-8011 for voter and election questions or election@prowerscounty.net.

Election Information
Jana Coen
Prowers County Clerk and Recorder