Reporter: Haley Jacobs
•7/16/2026
CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK) — What started as a simple search for a mail ballot turned into an unexpected phone call across the country for one Cape Coral voter.
Jean, a Cape Coral resident, said she was preparing for Florida's upcoming primary election and needed to request a mail-in ballot because she would be out of town on Election Day.
As many people would, she turned to Google to find her local elections office.
"I personally believe that the primary is one of the most important elections because that's when we actually decide who's going to be on the ballot," Jean said.
When a phone number appeared in the Google search results for the Cape Coral elections office, she assumed it was correct.
"I thought, 'Great, I will call and see what I need to do to get a mail-in ballot,'" she said.
But before the call even connected, something caught her attention.
"The ID came up that it was Idaho," Jean said.
She hung up. A short time later, the phone rang.
Jean said the owner of the Idaho phone number was calling her back.
According to Jean, the man told her he had been receiving calls from people in Southwest Florida who believed they were contacting the Cape Coral elections office. She said he told her the calls had been happening for months and even provided her with the correct phone number for the Lee County Elections Office.
"I was like, 'Oh my gosh, this is really strange,'" Jean said.
Concerned that other voters could run into the same problem, Jean contacted WINK News.
"It's important because other people may be in the same boat I am, where they're not going to be here on the primary day, and they do need mail-in ballots or absentee ballots," she said.
Jean later visited the Lee County Elections Office in person to request her mail-in ballot.
WINK News also searched for the Cape Coral elections office and found the same phone number listed in Google search results. A call to the number went to voicemail.
After WINK News contacted the Lee County Elections Office, a spokesperson said the office was not aware of the incorrect listing.
"Unfortunately, we do not have complete control over the information that shows up in Google search results, as that information can be changed or updated by users making suggested edits," said in a statement.
The spokesperson said the office had not previously received complaints about the incorrect phone number, but corrected the listing after WINK News reached out. The office also plans to continue monitoring the Google page.
Officials encourage voters to get election information directly from the Lee County Elections Office by visiting Lee.Vote or call 239-533-8683.
For Jean, the solution was simple.
"I do want to see it fixed because this is the government," she said. "It should operate correctly."
