Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Andalusian Electoral Board Orders PSOE to Drop ‘Medical Appointment’ Line From Robocalls

The decision balances patient trust with parties' right to campaign.

Overview

  • The regional electoral board, in a Thursday ruling, told the PSOE to remove the opening line “I’m calling about your next medical appointment” from its campaign robocalls.
  • Regulators said the phrasing could make people think the call came from the Andalusian public health service and could alarm those waiting for care.
  • The board found that parties may use anonymized phone campaigns and that phone numbers are not in the voter census, so the rest of the message can continue.
  • A citizen’s privacy complaint triggered the review and asked for a referral to prosecutors, which the board rejected after only partly upholding the claim.
  • PP figure Elías Bendodo condemned what he called false calls that impersonate health staff and warned of consequences in comments delivered in Granada.