BOISE — Voters are experiencing another round of robocalls, this time telling people not to leave their house on election day. It's happening to voters across the country, including Idahoans.
Nicole Kelchner-Williamson says she received a call Tuesday morning. The call came from a 208 number and a name popped up, but it was a robot on the other line.
"I answered it because I own a business, and then it was a recording that said 'this is a test, do not leave your house, do not leave your house,'" said Kelchner-Williamson.
At first, she was not sure what to make of the call.
"As funny as it sounds, I thought maybe it was something for COVID," said Kelchner-Williamson. "But I looked over to my husband and said 'hey, I got this weird message that said do not leave, this is a test' and said, 'no, that's a voter suppression tactic.'"
Kelchner-Williamson says she's received several solicitation and robocalls throughout the recent weeks leading up to the election. She's not the only Idahoan receiving them either.
Secretary of State Lawerence Denney sent an alert to voters about the suspicious robocalls. Denney says the calls are not from any official office and should be ignored.
AP news reportsthese calls have hit both Republican-leaning and Democrat-leaning states, and election officials are warning voters to disregard these robocalls.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is investing these robocalls that urge recipients to "stay safe and stay home," over concerns that the message might be an attempt to suppress votes in Tuesday's election.
A spokesperson for Idaho's Attorney General's Office says their Consumer Protection Division spoke with someone who received a similar call.
Idaho News 6 will update this story when more information becomes available.
