| Election Hoax Aims to Deceive Voters | |
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Updated: 11/02/00
By David Emery
Here's one way to try to throw a presidential election. The following message, purporting to originate from the "2000 Presidential Election Commission" (which doesn't exist), hit the email forwarding circuit last week. This early version is targeted at Democrats, but a subsequent, almost identical message takes aim at Republicans.
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Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2000 10:11 PM
Presidential Election Announcement Due to an anticipated voter turnout much larger than originally expected, the polling facilities may not be able to handle the load all at once. Therefore, Republicans and Independents are requested to vote on Tuesday, November 7. The Democrats will vote on Wednesday, November 8. Please pass this message along and help us to make sure that nobody gets left out and everything will run smoothly with this minor change. Be sure to vote!!! Know where your voting place is near you!! 2000 Presidental
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It's a prank, but election officials aren't laughing
Though undecided whether the email was intended as a prank or a serious attempt to deceive voters, officials in California where it was first sighted were quick to debunk its contents. "We're just trying to repeat the message that Nov. 7 is the day for everyone to vote," Secretary of State Bill Jones told the LA Times on Oct. 20. Precinct registrars began fielding calls about the hoax last week.
If found, the perpetrator could be charged with felony voter fraud, punishable by up to three years in prison.
A Republican Party official, commenting on the earliest version of the message targeted at Democrats, said he first took it to be a joke but that it could be "very serious" if people believed it. A Democratic spokesman characterized it as a "last-minute dirty trick."
Experience has shown that there is no idea so wacky that some people won't believe it, especially when it arrives in their inboxes in the guise of an official announcement. If the message achieves nationwide circulation before election day, authorities may have their hands full combating it. 
Next page > Readers Respond: "Lighten up!" > Page 1, 2
Sources and updates:
Email Hoax Tries to Give GOP a Lift
Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct 2000Email Hoax Targets Democrats
Las Vegas Sun, 2 Nov. 2000Hoax Tells Democrats to Vote Late
Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2 Nov. 2000Email Attempts to Disrupt Voting
Charleston Gazette, 2 Nov. 2000Ignore Prank - Vote Tuesday
Orlando Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2000Fake Election Day Emails Cause Problems
St. Louis Post Dispatch, 2 Nov. 2000Fake Emails Try to Switch Voting Dates
Associated Press, 3 Nov. 2000Rallies, Debates, Bogus Email Highlight Final Push
San Jose Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2000
