State senator pulls 'vote often' calls in Bedford judicial race

CLEVELAND -- State Senator Nina Turner (D-25th District) says she has pulled a telephone campaign phone message she recorded in support of Bedford Municipal Court candidate Pamela O'Bannon.

The automated phone calls, also known as "robo-calls," were being automatically dialed to voters in communities in the Bedford Municipal Court district.

Turner's message in support of O'Bannon says, in part, to "vote early, vote often, vote Democrat."

When informed that a constitutent had brought the call to the attention of WKYC, Turner said it was not her intention to encourage people to vote multiple times.

"What I was saying is that people should become involved in the electoral process," she told WKYC. "That they should vote in every election, in the primaries and special elections."

Turner said, in response to the inquiry, that the phone call in support of O'Bannon had been immediately pulled and would not be used again.

She said the automated phone message had just begun and that she could understand how someone could misinterpret the message, especially in light of allegations of voter fraud in recent elections.

"It was never my intention to encourage anything illegal," Turner said.