As absentee voting for this year’s City-School Election in Franklin County begins today, state officials have confirmed Iowans in at least three counties are getting text messages that are impersonating local public officials and candidates.
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate says law enforcement has been notified that an individual or group is sending fake text messages to residents in Franklin, Johnson and Madison Counties. The texts invite the recipient to reply to the message. Pate says pollsters and legitimate campaigns will not ask for things like Social Security or bank account numbers and he says Iowans must remain vigilant due to the continued rise in election-related misinformation.
