Peoria Standard

The Peoria County Election Commission has issued a warning to residents about a reported text message phishing scam that urges recipients to click on a false link to register to vote by mail this election season.

Last week, an election judge in Peoria County received an SMS message stating, “We have you in our records as not signed up to receive a ballot in the mail. Sign up in 2 minutes at: [link removed for press release]. stop = end.” The election judge did not click the link or send a reply but instead reported the suspicious message to Peoria County authorities, who then notified state partners of the incident.

This warning is not limited to Peoria County residents or even those of Illinois. Similar incidents were reported earlier this week in Cobb County, Georgia, and Lycoming County, Pennsylvania.

“What happened here was the appropriate response: never click a suspicious link or reply to an unknown number,” said Executive Director Elizabeth Gannon. “Disheartening as it is, similar attempts at mis- and disinformation will only increase as we get closer to the election. Your local election authority should be your number one source for up-to-date and accurate election information. When in doubt, reach out.”

The Peoria County Election Commission is located at 4422 Brandywine Drive in Peoria and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For questions, concerns, or to report suspicious voting activity, their contact number is (309) 324-2300. For other official election information, visit their website at peoriaelections.gov.