### Oregon Election Office Overwhelmed by Calls Due to False Voter Pamphlet Claim

In a startling turn of events, the Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division had to temporarily shut down its phone lines due to a flood of calls stemming from a false rumor. The misleading claim suggested that Republican nominee Donald Trump was omitted from the state's voter pamphlet.

Contrary to the false reports circulating on social media, Donald Trump is indeed listed as a candidate in the pamphlet and will appear on the ballot in Oregon. However, what is missing is a statement from Trump explaining why people should vote for him, as no such statement was submitted.

The misinformation caused a significant disruption, with out-of-state callers overwhelming the phone lines. On Thursday, the Secretary of State Elections Division decided to shut down their phone service due to the volume of calls. Adjustments were made by Friday to handle the ongoing situation better.

"Our phones are back up, but in this case, it would be more accurate to say that we will be screening voicemails," spokesperson Laura Kerns informed The Associated Press. "Oregonians who call with specific, answerable questions about the election will be prioritized for a return call."

In addition to the phone disruption, the office's email system was also inundated with messages regarding the false claim. Officials are prioritizing responses to Oregonians who have legitimate and answerable questions.

People on social media platforms like X continued to spread the false information on Friday. Some users even urged influential figures like Elon Musk to promote the incorrect claim, and shared the agency's phone number, encouraging others to "CALL NOW."

"Oregonians who need assistance will now have to wait because some individuals operating in bad faith are misleading people online," Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade stated in a news release. "Spreading rumors and false claims of election interference does nothing to help Oregonians."

Officials plan to have the office fully operational by Monday, hoping to dispel the rumors and get back on track with assisting voters.