Have you received a text message from ‘AllVote’ stating that you have already voted? Ignore it, Pa officials say

Comment STOP to opt out of disinformation about the November 5 general election.

If only it were that simple.

Thousands of Pennsylvania voters received a text message this weekend falsely claiming they had already voted in the upcoming Nov. 5 election.

“Records show you voted,” the text read, directing them to an official Pennsylvania website with information about polling places and early voting.

But the message did not come from an official government source, or from a well-known advocacy group to win the vote. Instead, it was signed by “AllVote,” a self-styled voter mobilization program that election officials have repeatedly labeled a scam to be avoided and ignored.

If “AllVote” sounds familiar, the name has been linked to other confusing text campaigns in the run-up to the election. Montgomery County officials warned voters in August about “AllVote.com” texting registered voters falsely claiming that they were not registered to vote — part of a scam to “obtain personal, sensitive information from voters in an effort to later exploit it,” election commissioners said.

Election officials inside Arizona And North Carolina has expressed concerns in recent months about text campaigns by an organization of the same name.

On Monday, however, an AllVote representative insisted it was a misunderstanding.

Charlotte Clymer, a contracted spokesperson for AllVote, sent The Inquirer an apologetic statement, describing the texts as a well-intentioned reminder that became a disastrous mistake, thanks to a typographical error made by staffers.

“We are saddened by this error and the confusion it has caused,” the organization said in the statement.

The organization does not want to say how many voters received the incorrect text.

The original message was intended to inform Pennsylvania voters that they had cast their ballots in 2022 and direct them to a verified link to explore their voting options. But “in 2022” was left off the script, leading to widespread confusion, the statement said.

“In the heat of the campaign season, employees working long hours simply made a mistake while editing copies,” the statement said.

A follow-up text was sent to voters who received the initial text message, informing them of the error. But those who replied “STOP” to the first message – or marked the sender as spam – may not have received the follow-up message and the organization acknowledged the damage done.

“We deeply apologize for this error, which we understand has caused significant confusion, especially among voters who have not yet voted but were told they had done so,” the organization said, promising a implement additional review process for future SMS alerts.

Clymer described AllVote as “funded by progressive donors who strive to increase voting participation,” but declined to provide details about the group’s support base. This year, a political action committee with that name was registered. Yet there is little public information available about AllVote, and the website does not list any founders or employees.

Clymer said the organization does not make its supporters public for fear of being targeted by the far right. She also said election officials and news reports making statements characterizing their recent efforts as phishing fraud were incorrect.

“The vast majority of our posts contain only official .gov links,” Clymer said in an email. “We’ve seen negative stories come out from election offices, even when we just sent people to their website. For good reason, election officials respond quickly, but unfortunately they do not always verify their suspicions before issuing a press release (or contacting us).”

The apparent mistake also appears to undermine the young group’s professed mission. On its website, AllVote claims its mission is to “remove uncertainty for voters by sending them direct information.”

“We take the responsibility for providing accurate information seriously,” the website reads. “Some of our communications contain information about whether a voter has cast their vote – we make every effort to ensure this information is up to date and based on the most recent version of the voter file, with those those who have already voted are excluded.”

In general, election officials advise voters to delay messages from the Pennsylvania Department of State or their local election board for reliable and accurate information. Philadelphia City Commissioner Lisa Deeley, one of Philadelphia’s three elections commissioners, echoed this Monday.

“Voters should be careful not to believe everything they read on Facebook, receive in the mail or via text message,” Deeley said. “As we approach Election Day, make sure you consult a trusted source for your election information. Voters can check their registration, mail voting status or find their polling place via our website Stem.Phila.gov or by calling 215-686-VOTE.”

The Pennsylvania Department of State did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, which manages an election fraud task force each election season, received reports of the erroneous texts, but a spokesperson declined further comment.