Wednesday, November 15, 2000

By SALLIE SATTERTHWAITE
SallieS@Juno.com

Did you hear the story about the pre-election e-mail that said last week's balloting would be extended to two days?

The widely circulated e-mail said that due to an expected heavy voter turnout, polls would be open both Tuesday and Wednesday. Republicans and Independents were urged to vote Tuesday, Democrats Wednesday.

Good one, huh? County and state elections officials didn't think so. They bumped the message up to the Justice Department of the United States where such matters are not regarded with humor.

The message, which was called to the attention of Carolyn Combs in Fayette County's elections office, "looked very official," Combs said, and purported to originate from the state Elections Commission. The source of the e-mail had not been identified late last week.

"Now that we're in the electronic age, scams like this may become more common," Combs said. She had also heard reports of on-line and telephone registration schemes which had convinced citizens erroneously that they had registered to vote.

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