Fox 28: South Bend, Elkhart IN News, Weather, SportsPossible voter fraud in South Bend

Possible voter fraud in South Bend

A South Bend woman says someone tried to trick her into thinking she already voted.

Now St. Joseph County elections official are telling voters not to fall for the newest type of voter fraud.

"I feel really bad for my old age that's the first time that I got scammed like that, terrible," said the woman, who didn't want to be identified.

She says she received a phone call from a woman claiming to be an elections official.

"This young lady was saying they're doing something new and something different and I don't have to go out and vote," she said.

The caller said people could now vote by phone and asked her who she wanted to vote for.

The woman said John McCain.

She was then told her vote was cast and she didn't need to vote Tuesday.

Election officials say if you think you voted by phone, you're wrong.

"They haven't voted at all. It's some sort of scam," said Murray Winn, St. Joseph County Board of Elections.

Winn says the phone call is a case of voter fraud.

"Whoever is pulling this prank is certainly trying to deprive a voter from their constitutional right to cast a ballot and that's the unfortunate thing in all of this," he said.

St. Joseph County officials on both the McCain campaign and the Obama campaign say the last thing they want to do is see anyone be tricked out of their vote this election.

 "Whatever your affiliation," said Butch Morgan St. Joseph County Democratic Party. "We do not suppress the vote, we do not deter people from voting."

"People should not believe by any instance that can vote by phone," said Chris Faulkner, local coordinator McCain campaign. "You can vote three ways, you can show up and vote today early voting, you can fill out an absentee ballot or you can vote on election day, that's it."

Depriving someone of their right to vote is a felony.

The South Bend voter is hoping whoever called her is caught.

"I think the should be reprimanded. I don't think that should be allowed to me it's lying, cheating," she said.

If you suspect voter fraud, contact the police.

A situation similar to this was reported in the Florida panhandle a few weeks ago, voters were told they could call in their vote.