Voters can cast ballots by text message
| Voters can cast ballots by text message | |
|---|---|
| FALSE | |
| "Ads claimed that voters could cast ballots by texting a number." | |
| Domain | Politics & Elections |
| Tactic | Fabrication Imposture |
| Era | Current |
| First seen | 2016 |
| Origin | Fake "text to vote" ads circulated on social media in 2016 |
| Last reviewed | 2026-11-03 |
| Further reading: books on Politics & Elections | |
The claim that voters can cast ballots by text message is a voter-suppression tactic dressed as a convenience.
What the evidence shows
- Voting by text is not legal. No U.S. jurisdiction allows ballots to be cast by text message.
- The ads were deceptive. Fake ads in 2016 urged supporters of one candidate to text a number to vote, with fine print excluding certain people.
- Prosecution. Federal prosecutors said at least 4,900 phone numbers texted the advertised number. Douglass Mackey was convicted in connection with the scheme and sentenced to seven months and fined $15,000, according to a DOJ press release. His conviction was later reversed on appeal.
Why it persists
Mobile convenience is familiar from other parts of life, so an official-looking graphic is believable.
Lessons for readers
- Verify voting methods and deadlines with your state election office.
See also
Sources
- U.S. Department of Justice press release on the Mackey sentencing.