Election officials across the country warned Tuesday that some voters have been receiving robocalls telling them to “stay home” or vote on the wrong day.
In the battleground state of Michigan, the robocalls are encouraging residents to vote Wednesday due to long lines, according to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
“We received reports that an unknown party is purposefully spreading misinformation via robocalls in Flint in an attempt to confuse voters there, and I want to ensure everyone plans to vote in person understands they must do so — or be in line to do so — by 8 p.m. today,” Ms. Benson, a Democrat, said in a statement.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel also weighed in, calling the robocalls “an effort to suppress the vote.”
Michigan is one of the most hotly contested states in the country and winning it could assure victory for President Trump or former Vice President Joseph R. Biden.
But it is not the only state where robocalls are popping up. Election officials in Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa say residents have also received calls.
Nebraska Secretary of State Robert Evnen said on Twitter that residents in his state received calls telling voters to “stay home and stay safe.”
“Our polling places across the state are open,” Mr. Evnen, a Republican, wrote. “Our voters and our poll workers will be kept safe.”
Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a Republican, also warned of the robocalls.
“We are receiving reports of robocalls telling voters to stay home,” he said in a tweet. “Disregard these calls.”
A spokesman for Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said his office has reported the calls to the FBI.
In a statement, the FBI said it was aware of the robocalls, but declined to comment further.
“As a reminder, the FBI encourages the American public to verify an election and voting information they may receive through their local election officials,” the statement said.
The origins of the calls remain unclear. The “stay home” robocalls first appeared this summer but disappeared before ramping back up in late October, according to media reports.
Last month, conservative operatives Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman were charged in Michigan with a robocall scheme allegedly illegally attempting to suppress minority voters.
The pair were indicted again last week in Ohio, accused of operating a similar scheme.
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