Voter Suppression Activity Afoot in North Carolina: Deceptive phone calls Target Blacks with Misinformation

The State Board of Elections is warning about automated phone calls giving false information about registering to vote. One version of the "robo-calls" received recently, according to the elections office, goes like this: “Hello, this is Lamont Williams. In the next few days, you will receive a voter registration packet in the mail. All you need to do is sign it, date it and return your application. Then you will be able to vote and make your voice heard. Please return the voter registration form when it arrives. Thank you.” Watchdog group Democracy North Carolina says the calls are being made to African-American neighborhoods. The group has put audio of the call online at www.democracy-nc.org/nc/spprncall.wav. "This is another in a long line of deceptive practices used in North Carolina and elsewhere that particularly target African-American voters,” Bob Hall, the group's director, said in a news release. “In our view, this phone message plainly violates North Carolina law. We ask the Attorney General, State Bureau of Investigation, and the State Board of Elections to investigate, expose, and prosecute the sponsors of these calls." [MORE]