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Internet Hoax Warns of Lost Obama Votes

Internet users are being cautioned to ignore a fake warning that may cause confusion among voters in today's United States general election.
/ Source: InnovationNewsDaily.com

Internet users are being cautioned to ignore a fake warning that may cause confusion among voters in today's United States general election.

"In the event that you are planning to vote Democrat on Nov. 6 when you go into the voting booths, DO NOT SELECT THE BUTTON 'All Democrats' first, because Barack Obama will be excluded from the vote," the message reads, according to The Root blog and other news reports.

The message, which has appeared on email, Facebook and Twitter, goes on to instruct voters to select Barack Obama's name first if they want to vote a straight Democratic ticket.

As the South Carolina branch of the NAACP told WBCD-TV in Charleston last month, that's simply not true. Hitting the "all Democrats" button will in fact cast a vote for the President in South Carolina and other states that allow one-click straight-ticket voting.

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"If a South Carolina voter chooses the straight-party option first on our voting machines, the selection box for all candidates of the intended political party will automatically be checked, including the presidential candidate," a counter-warning from the NAACP reads.

The message could cause some voters to erroneously deselect their presidential choice by pushing their candidate's button twice. Voters should thoroughly review ballots before casting them.

"So many people in South Carolina already feel threatened," South Carolina NAACP President Lonnie Randolph told The Root. "We have a lot of first-time voters in this election, and the machines are not the simplest thing to deal with. Folks will need some assistance, particularly elderly people."

Voters should be on the lookout for misinformation, and savvy voters should do their best to insure their friends and family have correct information. There are reports of active campaigns out there designed to confuse and manipulate voters of all stripes.

Now go vote, if you haven't already.