Outreach to college voters is increasing amid reports of “intimidating” texts

Reports of intimidating text messages targeted at college students and recent graduates in Wisconsin are leading to greater awareness of voting rights among young voters.

The anonymous text message warns recipients not to vote in a state where they are ineligible to vote, and notes that they could face a fine or jail time for violating Wisconsin state law.

Recent graduate Molly Carmichael, communications manager for the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, said the first thing she noticed when she received the text was the harsh language.

“I was pretty upset from the start because I thought this would go to other people too, maybe people who have never voted before and are looking forward to voting this November. So it would be really worrying to get a text message like that,” she explained.

The League of Women Voters, along with Free Speech for People, petitioned the Wisconsin Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the matter.

Carmichael said they also launched a digital campaign to promote the Election Protection Hotline and sought to counteract the harmful text with positive and accurate information and resources.

Jay Heck, executive director of Common Cause Wisconsin, said meddling in student voting is nothing new for Wisconsin and is almost expected in the swing state.

“Students are becoming a very convenient target for many people who are trying to undermine public confidence in the election in Wisconsin,” he continued.

Heck said the state’s strict photo ID law for voters could cause confusion in the process for some college students whose school IDs may not comply with state law. Common Cause has a section on its website that describes what college students need to vote in Wisconsin, including detailed examples of what IDs are acceptable.

While continuing to reach students is critical after this latest program, Heck hopes most students don’t fall for it.

“The good thing about it is that I think younger people, by and large, are less susceptible to some of the things they see and the texts they get because they’re just more used to social media. And I think a lot of them probably know a little better whether it’s true or not,” Heck added.

Students who receive this type of text message or other intimidating election-related communications are asked to report it to the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE.

This article originally appeared on Wisconsin News Connection, a division of Public News Service.

The Carnegie Corporation of New York supported Public News Service reporting.