This week, California voters received a suspicious text message saying they had not returned their ballots for the state's Nov. 4 special redistricting election.
The message may seem official. It includes the voter's name and address and links to an official website that provides information about early voting and ballot drop-off locations at shopping centers.
But it's not coming from the state, and officials urge caution.
The California secretary of state's office received numerous reports from voters about “inaccurate text messages from Ballot Now,” according to a news release.
“This has led voters to believe that county election officials have not received or processed their returned ballots,” Secretary of State Shirley Weber said in the statement. “Let me be clear: Ballot Now is in no way affiliated with the California Secretary of State’s Office.”
Weber's office told The Times that it does not know the intent behind the Ballot Now text messages and that “we are trying to get to the bottom of it.”
Ballot Now did not respond to The Times' request for comment.
Where voters can get reliable answers to their election questions
Voters can find accurate information about elections and voting on the secretary of state's website or at their county elections office. The clerk's website includes the complete list of county election offices.
Questions that the Secretary of State's website can help with include:
How do I verify my voter status? By entering certain personal information, you can see if you are registered to vote, where you are registered, and verify that your political party and language preference are correct on the website's voter status page.
How do I track my ballot? You can register to track your ballot through the state's Ballottrax online site.
- By registering with Ballottrax, voters receive automatic updates when their county elections office: mails them their ballot, receives it, counts it, or when the office has an issue with the ballot.
- Updates are available in 10 languages, including Spanish, Japanese, and Tagalog, and you can choose to receive text messages, emails, or calls with voice alert updates.
Where can I return my ballot? Los Angeles County residents can find official locations for vote-by-mail ballot drop boxes or voter centers on the Los Angeles County Registrar-Registrar/County Clerk website.
How to report something suspicious
If you believe you are a victim of voter fraud or have witnessed a violation of the California Election Code, you can submit a complaint form or call the secretary of state's office.
Complete an online form, download a PDF version of the form and mail it, or call the office; English speakers can call (916) 657-2166 or (800) 345-8683; Spanish speakers can call (800) 232-8682.
The physical form can be mailed to the California Secretary of State's Elections Division at 1500 11th St., 5th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814 or faxed to (916) 653-3214.
Los Angeles County residents are encouraged to call the Los Angeles County Recorder-Recorder/County Clerk call center if they have any questions or concerns, said Mike Sanchez, a spokesman for the office.
You can contact the voter registrar at (800) 815-2666, and the number for voter center information is (800) 815-2666; choose option number 1.
