Warning issued of election scam

Tennessee and other states are warning voters to beware of a possible scam that may be collecting personal information under the guise of registering voters.

The questionable calls were reported by Democracy Works, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group whose TurboVote app will deliver customized information and reminders on elections to users.

The organization reported to federal law enforcement that someone purporting to be from TurboVote was calling people and offering to register them to vote over the phone. That’s not legal.

Secretary of State Tre Hargett said in a news release that no such calls have been reported in Tennessee, but anyone who receives such a call should report it to his office.

Brandon Naylor with Democracy Works said Friday he didn’t know if any calls had been reported in Tennessee, Georgia or Alabama but praised state election officials for trying to get the word out.

“They are acting out of an abundance of caution, which we appreciate,” Naylor said. “It must be understood that just because secretaries of state are issuing a warning does not mean a scam has been reported.”

He also emphasized that people should never give out personal information over the telephone.

In Tennessee, people can register to vote online at GoVoteTn.com, by mail or in person at their county election commission. The voter registration deadline for the Nov. 6 election is Tuesday.

Voters can download the GoVoteTN app from the App Store or Google Play to find early voting and Election Day polling locations, view and mark sample ballots and more.