Lake County Supervisor of Elections, Alan Hays, advises voters to beware of misinformation and voter intimidation campaigns designed to create confusion or distrust in our elections systems.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) works to help identify, respond to, and mitigate the spread of false or misleading election information that may be circulating through online journals, emails, and social media channels. The CISA advises that before voters share a post, a link, or an email that contains election information, to check with their local elections office to verify the information. They further advise voters to be wary of manipulative content designed to make them angry or sad or create a sense of urgency to act. These are tactics used by groups who want to disrupt the election processes. The Federal Bureau of Investigations works closely with the CISA to help protect the integrity of our elections process and urges the American public to report information concerning suspicious or criminal activity to their local field offices at: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices.
“We have been getting calls from voters asking if they are required to not only sign their return envelope when returning their vote-by-mail ballot, but to sign the ballot itself. It was reported that this information was being shared on a neighborhood social media site, as well as via phone calls. This information is incorrect. Voters are only required to sign the return envelope when returning their mail ballot,” Hays commented.
Early Voting is currently going on now through October 31st. Sites are open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. During Early Voting, voters may choose from twelve different locations in which to cast their ballot. However, on Election Day voters are required to vote at their assigned precinct. “Today we started getting calls from voters who were being told the incorrect hours for voting on Election Day,” Hays further shared. Election Day is November 3rd, and polls will be open 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Election Day voting hours have not changed.
The Lake County Supervisor of Elections Office would like to encourage voters to rely on their office as the trusted source of election information for Lake County voters. Their website: www.LakeVotes.com has a wealth of information regarding the upcoming General Election. Voters can find out about Early Voting dates, times, and locations; where to vote on Election Day; deadlines to request and return their vote-by-mail ballot, and much more. If voters do not find the answer to their questions there, they are encouraged to contact the office at 352.343.9734.
“Our social media sites have been verified (look for the blue checkmark), we are on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @LakeElections,” Hays shared. “We post pertinent information for Lake County voters on our sites daily. Please utilize these sources as your trusted information,” Hays further stated.
