EDWARDSVILLE – As election season approaches, the Madison County Clerk’s Office in Edwardsville is warning voters about a rise in election-related scams, including phishing texts and emails that attempt to get recipients to click links, share personal information or verify voter registration through unofficial channels.
The warning comes after a suspicious text message was recently received that urged immediate action to “verify” a voter profile through a website and claimed the recipient was making a “huge mistake” by ignoring it. Election officials in several states, including Rhode Island, have also recently warned voters about phishing emails and text messages posing as messages from election offices.
According to the information provided, the goal of such scams may be to steal personal information, collect passwords or financial information, spread misinformation and undermine confidence in elections.
Madison County Clerk and Recorder Linda Andreas said the county clerk’s office “will never send you an unsolicited text message asking you to click a link to verify your voter registration.” The office said that if it needs to contact voters regarding registration, it uses official methods authorized by Illinois law.
Voters who receive a suspicious message are advised not to click any links, not to provide personal information and to delete the message if they believe it is fraudulent. The office also said voters should verify information only through official election sources.
Andreas said voter registration, polling place information and other election details should be verified through official government websites or by contacting the Madison County Clerk’s Office directly. It cautioned voters not to rely on links in unexpected texts or emails.
The office also warned that artificial intelligence is making scams more convincing by helping create realistic emails, text messages, websites and even voice calls. While AI can also be useful for learning about elections, the office said voters should verify important election information with official election sources before taking action.
“Protecting elections also means protecting voters,” Andreas said. “Our office works with state and federal partners to stay informed about cybersecurity threats and emerging scams. An informed voter is one of the strongest defenses against fraud and misinformation.”
The office said voters with questions about their registration or who receive a suspicious election-related message should contact the Madison County Clerk’s Office before responding.
“Together, we can help keep Madison County elections secure, transparent, and worthy of the public’s trust,” Andreas said.
