Fake ads circulated on social media last week, urging people to vote early by texting their candidate’s name to a five-digit number. The ads used realistic images and slogans from Hillary Clinton’s campaign, but were completely fake. The only way to cast your vote is still in person at a polling place or by mail with an absentee ballot.
According to The Washington Post, at least four ads were circulated on Twitter, stealing images from Clinton’s campaign materials. Each ad contained the Clinton campaign “H” logo and a line saying the ad was “paid for by Hillary for President.” The ads gave the instruction that you could simply text “Hillary” to the number 59925 to “Vote Early.”
Texting that number produced an automatic reply from the Clinton campaign clarifying that they had nothing to do with the fake ads, the New York Daily News reports.
Twitter just informed me that attempting to disenfranchise voters is not a violation of their Terms of Service. @jack@Supportpic.twitter.com/YXVdt8sHwA
— Robert McNees (@mcnees) November 2, 2016
Various Twitter accounts shared the ads with the hashtag #ImWithHer. Many of these accounts have since been suspended, though some were still posting the ads as of late last week, Fortunereported.
So although the convenience of being able to text your vote would be awesome, you still have to show up to your polling place in order for your vote to actually count. Find out more about how to cast your vote on the U.S. government website here.