Election season is ramping up, and our team is excited to help you make your voice heard! We send TurboVote users text and email notifications about registering to vote and casting a ballot in upcoming elections. Our TurboVote help desk is also available to connect you with authoritative government resources and answer any questions you have about elections and voting.
Unfortunately, there are plenty of bad actors out there who may also try to contact you. Disinformation campaigns, phishing, malware, and identity theft scams are all real risks when communicating by text and email.
So how can you be sure that a text or email really comes from TurboVote? Read our tips for identifying our notifications and avoiding scams.
Look for the correct name and contact information
TurboVote outreach almost always contains a reference to the platform, i.e. “Hi, it’s TurboVote!” You may also see the name of one of our partner organizations in the greeting, i.e. “Hi, it’s XYZ with a message from TurboVote!” Texts are sent from 88683 and emails are sent from help@turbovote.org.
If you don’t see the name “TurboVote” anywhere in a notification, or if a notification is sent from a different number or email than the ones listed above, it is safe to assume we did not send it. It could be from a scammer or a different voter engagement organization trying to get in touch with you.
Don’t panic
Scammers often create a sense of urgency or fear to get you to act without thinking. If a text or email uses demanding or threatening language, proceed with caution.
We will never try to scare you or make you uncomfortable. Instead, our notifications will encourage you to use TurboVote to check your registration and make a plan to vote.
TurboVote:
Hi Alison, it's TurboVote. The Apr 22 Carver Town Election is tomorrow. Find where to vote and take two minutes to make a plan: https://turbovote.org/elections/ma/place/ carver/2023-04-22
NOT TurboVote:
Our records indicate that you are no longer registered to vote. Click this link to re-register immediately or you will be banned from voting.
Be careful with personal information
TurboVote users are prompted to enter their name, address, and date of birth on the platform in order to receive location-based guidance and confirm they are eligible to vote. If you reach out to a TurboVote help desk agent, they may ask for your address so they can answer your questions correctly.
However, we never ask for personal information in our automated text and email notifications. Instead, notifications will direct you to TurboVote so you can fill in that information on our secure platform.
If you request help updating your personal information in TurboVote, we may send you a one-time security code. Do not share this code with anyone, including the TurboVote help desk. This code should be entered directly into the “Enter security code” field on the “Update Account Info” page of our website.
We will NEVER request bank account information, credit card numbers, account passwords, social security numbers, or government-issued ID numbers.
Remember TurboVote won’t call you
TurboVote communicates with users via text and email ONLY. If someone calls you on the phone claiming to be from TurboVote, hang up immediately and do NOT give them any personal information.
Please note: Your local election office may try to get in touch with you by phone if there is an issue with your ballot or if you requested information about voting. These types of calls are legitimate voter assistance and you can answer them safely – they just aren’t from TurboVote.
When in doubt, reach out
Still feeling uncertain about an election-related text or email notification you received? You can contact our help desk by filling out this request form, emailing help@turbovote.org, or texting 88683.
If you have questions about voting and elections, you can also reach out to your local election office.
If someone is trying to scam you or you have been the victim of a scam, please reach out to your local law enforcement.
