Beware Of Possible Voter Fraud And Scams

Augusta, GA—Like many busy voters, Daphne Freeman was eager to cast her ballot. She says, a week ago, she was approached by someone in her Walton Farms neighborhood, telling her she didn’t have to go to the polls to vote.

Daphne Freeman, Augusta, GA—“Gentlemen came up to me and said, ‘are you registered to vote?‘ I said, ‘yes.‘ ‘Have you voted already?‘ and I said, ‘no,‘ and then he said, ‘would you like to vote from home, so you don’t have to stand in the long lines?‘ I said, ‘sure if it’s that easy.‘“

Freeman says the man was going door-to-door with a handheld device similar to a scientific calculator. He told her all she had to do was sign and her vote would be recorded.

Freeman: “And, he said, ‘ok, you voted.‘ I said, ‘I voted? Where is the ballot?‘ and he said, ‘you don’t have to.‘“

Richmond County Board of Elections Director Lynn Bailey warns voters not to fall for this.

Lynn Bailey, Director, Richmond County Board of Elections: “The only electronic voting available in Georgia is in person at the Regitrar’s Office or at one of our advanced voting sites. It’s going to be at some official place.“

Freeman says she signed the device because everything looked legit. However, she decided to call the Elections Office to see if her vote was counted and, of course, it was not.

Bailey says there are no official poll workers going door-to-door to help people vote.

Lynn Bailey: “There are many attempts being made to mislead and confuse voters, it would seem, so the best advice: if it makes you feel uncomfortable, don’t do it.“

Some neighbors say the same thing is taking place in the Pepperridge subdivision.

Freeman: “Just to know that this type of thing is going on, in such a historic election, it really really disturbed me and I hope this helps those others who might be a victim of this type of scam.“

Bailey says, if you have any questions regarding voting, don’t hesitate to call the Election’s Office.