Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul warns of robocalls discouraging voting by mail

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is warning the public about robocalls trying to discourage people from voting by mail.

According to Raoul's office, some voters have reported receiving robocalls warning them that voting by mail could result in their private information being provided to third parties.

According to Raoul, calls can involve an automated recording claiming that information belonging to people who vote by mail will be shared with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to track people for mandatory vaccines, police departments and law enforcement in order to locate individuals who have outstanding warrants, and creditors to help find people who owe outstanding debt.

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Raoul is urging individuals to disregard any messages containing such false claims, saying in part, "I am urging voters to be aware that Illinois law does not permit election authorities to share personal information, regardless of the voting method you choose. If you receive a call, email or text trying to convince you otherwise, please report the contact to my office or the Illinois State Board of Elections."

Bronzeville alderman among those receiving inaccurate robocalls discouraging Illinois vote by mail

A Bronzeville alderman said she received an inaccurate robocall discouraging vote by mail. She believed it was a "scare tactic."

He said people should instead contact the Illinois State Board of Elections with questions about voting whether by mail or in person.

Attorney General Raoul is urging voters to take the following steps:

-Ensure your voter registration is up to date. You can check your current voter registration information on the Illinois State Board of Elections' website using the Registration Lookup.

-Update your voter registration. If you have moved or are not registered to vote, you can register using the Illinois State Board of Elections' Online Voter Registration Application.

-Check the status of a vote-by-mail application. If you have filled out a vote-by-mail application, you can check the status by contacting your local election authority, which can be found on the Board of Elections' website.

-Safely deliver your ballot to the election authority. If you complete a vote-by-mail ballot, ensure that it is safely returned to the election authority via the United States Postal Service or ballot drop boxes that your election authority establishes. Do not give your ballot to anyone you do not know.

-Take advantage of other early voting options. You can take advantage of early voting sites in the weeks preceding the election. Contact you election authority to learn where and when early voting is offered.

Attorney General Raoul also encourages residents to call his Consumer Fraud Hotline at 1-800-386-5438 (Chicago), 1-800-243-0618 (Springfield) or 1-800-243-0607 (Carbondale) if they believe they have received a fraudulent call or are otherwise the victim of fraud relating to voting. Voters also can contact the Illinois State Board of Elections online or by calling 217-782-4141 or 312-814-6465.