EDITORIAL: Campaign phone tactic deplorable
This summer’s political campaigns saw a fair share of distortions and half-truths.
But perhaps the most egregious breech of campaign decorum happened Tuesday when hundreds of people in Jackson and Banks counties received a very misleading phone call.
The call indicated that unless the person voted that day, their names would be removed from the registered voters list and they wouldn’t be able to vote in November.
A careful reading of the call’s script doesn’t actually say that directly, but the wording was very misleading and was designed to give the impression that the person receiving the call would be removed from the registered voters list.
Not surprisingly, county election officials were flooded with calls from upset voters, some of whom had already cast ballots.
But the calls didn’t come from anyone in Banks or Jackson County government; the calls were a campaign tactic being done by an unnamed candidate. The effort was obviously designed to drive a large turnout in Jackson and Banks counties.
It was a deplorable idea. Encouraging voters to get out and vote is one thing; misleading voters about their registration status, as this phone attempted to do, may be legal, but is unethical.
We’ll never know for sure who was behind the phone calls. Voters can hope, however, that it won’t happen again in future elections.
The call indicated that unless the person voted that day, their names would be removed from the registered voters list and they wouldn’t be able to vote in November.
A careful reading of the call’s script doesn’t actually say that directly, but the wording was very misleading and was designed to give the impression that the person receiving the call would be removed from the registered voters list.
Not surprisingly, county election officials were flooded with calls from upset voters, some of whom had already cast ballots.
But the calls didn’t come from anyone in Banks or Jackson County government; the calls were a campaign tactic being done by an unnamed candidate. The effort was obviously designed to drive a large turnout in Jackson and Banks counties.
It was a deplorable idea. Encouraging voters to get out and vote is one thing; misleading voters about their registration status, as this phone attempted to do, may be legal, but is unethical.
We’ll never know for sure who was behind the phone calls. Voters can hope, however, that it won’t happen again in future elections.
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#1
Irate
on
08/06/08 at 01:44 PM
[Reply]
What do you mean "We'll never know for sure"? How can you be so certain of that? The calls came from a number of a provider who was more than likely paid to generate these calls. It may take some digging to follow the money trail, but it shouldn't be any problem for the newsman that toppled Tim Madison. You're not giving yourself enough credit.