VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Multiple voters reached out to News 3 this week asking reporters to look into signs, featuring a QR code, posted across Virginia Beach.
The signs read, "Scan for your new voting district & ballot candidates" and with a QR code. If someone scans the QR code with their cell phone, it takes them to the website for Students First VA, which is a local political action committee that's been raising concerns about what's taught in school including what they say is Critical Race Theory.
Some believe the signs look like something more official.
"I just think it was misleading the way that it was positioned and the way they presented their information," said Molly Grasso, a parent with children in the school system.
Grasso said she noticed the signs posted this week on other signage in the medians of roads, including on Kings Grant Road. A spokesperson for the city said city officials did remove a number of signs. Other signs remain at polling places, including at Obendorf Central Library, where early voting is underway.
"It did give some information about where to go, who you'd be voting for, who your options are," said Grasso.
The PAC said they were not trying to mislead. The QR code takes you to a page with their endorsements for the school board as well as links to city websites with voter information as voters are in new districts this year for the school board and city council.
"It takes voters to our site. It talks about our candidates and it very clearly and distinctly also helps voters find their new voting districts with a district locator link," said Tim Mack, the president of Students First VA.
The voter registrar said because there is language on the sign that says it's paid for by Students First VA, they're not illegal, although the font is significantly smaller than the rest of the text on the sign.
News 3 asked Mack why the font is larger.
"We have a lot of signs, posters, and literature we put out and that's typically the size of our fonts," he answered. "You could ask that of any candidate or any PAC. Why isn't the font bigger?"
Grasso is supporting incumbent Carolyn Rye in the District 8 race. Rye has a Students First VA-backed opponent named David Culpepper.
"We're talking about children and education. Has it gotten too partisan?" News 3 asked Grasso. "I think it has gotten too partisan," she answered.
News 3 asked Mack the same question.
"My goal is to not be disagreeable, but I certainly disagree with some of the current policies that the school board in Virginia Beach has implemented and I think that's really, really harming people in a variety of ways," said Mack, who said members who supported policies he disagrees with should be held accountable. "If that offends people, I'm sorry, but that's the nature of politics."
