Robocalls spam WI Democrats, telling them not to vote in recall elections

Today marks Wisconsin's recall election, and polls are expected to be crowded all day. The unusual nature of the election — after all, it's not often that voters are riled up enough to draw up a petition to recall their lawmakers — has confused some about procedure, and the robocalls that some in Wisconsin are reporting receiving are certainly not helping.

Local news blog WI Voices reported that registered Democrats have been receiving recorded calls, claiming to be from a Right to Life group. The recorded call instructs them that they don't need to go to the polling place to vote, saying, “You don’t need to worry. Your absentee ballot is in the mail.”

Today is the last day polling places will be open for the Democratic primary, however, so absentee ballots that have not reached their intended recipients, or completed absentee ballots that are put in the mail today will not be counted.

"This robocall is illegal activity and election fraud at its worst," WI Voices wrote. They note that the calls have been coming from phone number 703-410-3201, and warn to look out for 703 area codes.

Another Wisconsin blog, Blue Cheddar, pointed out that googling that same number brings up online complaints from people getting robocalls from "Joe the Plumber" telling them to support Scott Walker last March.

Recall elections will decide the fates of nine Wisconsin state senators in the coming weeks.

(h/t: AlterNet)