Tell your friends, tell you family, tell your neighbors: The only way you can vote in this election is by getting up and going to the polls. This is contrary to some hoax images and false claims that have been making the rounds on Twitter instructing Hillary Clinton voters to cast their ballot via text. This is unequivocally not a thing.
Although it does sound tempting. The fake images, spread in both English and Spanish, say things like "Avoid the line. Vote from home." They claim that all voters have to do is text "Hillary" to 59925, and their vote is cast. Easy. Except not.
In small print, the graphic warns that text voting is not available in Guam, Puerto Rico, Alaska, or Hawaii. Actually, it's not available anywhere. Texting this number is as effective as writing your choice on a paper airplane and shooting it out your window.
Those convinced by the tweets might, in fact, be thinking of HelloVote, the first text-message-based voter registration tool. In under a minute, you can submit your information and get a completed form to sign as well as an addressed and stamped envelope sent to your home.
Early Wednesday, Twitter user @mcnees attempted to report the fake Tweets and was originally told that they didn't violate any terms.
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Twitter just informed me that attempting to disenfranchise voters is not a violation of their Terms of Service. @jack @Support pic.twitter.com/YXVdt8sHwA
— Robert McNees (@mcnees) November 2, 2016
Later, however (after the Tweet went viral), Twitter responding say they fixed the error.
@mcnees @Support not sure how this got past us. Fixed (and thanks for reporting)
— ??jack (@jack) November 2, 2016
So, on Tuesday, get out and vote — emphasis on the "get out."
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