TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The Leon County Supervisor of Elections is warning voters about unofficial voter registration mailings.
In the coming weeks, the Supervisor of Elections Mark S. Earley, says over 15,000 Leon County residents will receive letters from the Voter Participation Center or the Center for Voter Information.
The Voter Participation Center and the Center for Voter Information are nongovernmental, third-party organizations. They are not affiliated with the Elections Office.
Each letter contains a pre-filled voter registration application form and a return envelope addressed to the Leon County Supervisor of Elections Office.
Earley says the Elections Office has neither printed nor distributed these mail pieces, nor supplied the data used in them.
“These mailings often contain outdated or inaccurate information about the recipient's registration status,” said Supervisor Earley. “Incorrect data in past mailings has misled or angered voters who received them for family members who are deceased, never resided in the household, or are addressed to minor children or even pets. These mailings often arouse suspicion from voters who believe their registration has in some way been compromised, or cause confusion and distrust in elections. It is a shame that at a time of heightened concern about elections, these groups continue to contact our voters, causing even more confusion.”
Voters who wish to be removed from future mailings from the Voter Participation Center or the Center for Voter Information are encouraged to contact those organizations directly.
Voter Participation Center
E-mail: unsubscribe@voterparticipation.org
Phone: (877) 255-6750
Web: voterparticipation.org
Center for Voter Information
E-mail: unsubscribe@centerforvoterinformation.org
Phone: (866) 290-1599
Web: centerforvoterinformation.org
Voters can check their official voter registration status by visiting the Elections Office website at LeonVotes.gov and selecting “Your Voter Info.”
Potential voters who wish to register to vote or current voters who need to update their registration are encouraged to visit RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov, Florida’s online voter registration system.
Voters with questions are encouraged to contact the Supervisor of Elections Office by email at Vote@LeonVotes.gov, or by phone at (850) 606-8683, Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
In response, the Voter Participation Center and the Center for Voter Information President and CEO Tom Lopach released this statement:
"VPC and CVI are bringing democracy to Floridians by providing hundreds of thousands with the same official voter registration applications used by their county. Leon County voters can easily register to vote by simply signing the application from VPC and CVI and dropping it back in the mail."
VPC and CVI are non-profit, non-partisan organizations that work to ensure the New American Majority - people of color, young people, and unmarried women - participate in democracy equal to their presence in society. Since 2003, VPC and CVI have proven their programs are effective, helping more than 5.7 million people register to vote, including over 820,000 Floridians. VPC and CVI will keep working to ensure that every Floridian can make their voices heard in this election and beyond.
Errors in our programming are very rare, but we take them very seriously, and our methods overall are extraordinarily effective."
