CLEVELAND — In the weeks and months leading up to Election Day, you’ve likely been inundated with ads, fliers and text messages about voting. Mailers mentioning voting records, and whether neighbors have voted, are stoking concerns about privacy.
One such letter comes from the Voter Participation Center or the Center for Voter Information, which are two entities run by the same organization. It’s labeled as a ‘Voting Report Card’ and includes information about whether the recipient has voted in the past four general elections. It also shows the voting records of two anonymous individuals on the same street.
One line reads, “We will be reviewing these records after the election to determine whether or not you joined your neighbors in voting.”
“It felt kind of invasive,” said Robin Turner, who received one mailer for each member of her family.
The Civic Engagement Strategist for Cleveland Votes said the grassroots organization worries fliers like the ‘Voting Report Card’ could damage the voter trust local groups have worked to build.
“Oh, your neighbors will know if you don’t do this or you don’t do that? [It’s] invasive and violating, just to say the least,” Turner said.
Similar peer-pressuring ads, promoting the idea that your neighbor could know you didn’t vote, are popping up on TV, through text messages, and on mailers from other organizations.
Voters in line for early voting at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections Monday had varying opinions about the tactic.
“I don’t think that’s right that other people should be able to see if you voted or not. Whose business is that?” said Sam Spain.
Katherine Clark said, “I think it’s great that people know that I’m voting. Why would I be against that? I think more people should vote.”
In Ohio, some voting record details are publicly available. Voter names, addresses, party affiliations and which elections they voted in can be found online. The people and issues for which they voted are not public record. Some say just because the information is available doesn’t mean it should be distributed.
“To do it through this kind of mailer raises concerns about privacy,” said Baldwin Wallace Political Science Professor Tom Sutton. “Is this a pressure tactic? And in this polarized environment, of course, everyone’s thinking, ‘Which side sent me this? And are they trying to get me to vote for their side?’”
The Voter Participation Center defended its methods. In a statement to News 5, organization president Tom Lopach said the following:
“As a non-profit and non-partisan civic engagement organization, the Voter Participation Center (VPC) has been mailing letters to voters around the country to encourage them to vote on November 8th. Based on publicly available state voter files, the letters typically show how voters compare to their neighbors when it comes to participating in elections. Many citizens are inspired to vote when shown their record. It’s a way to provide some meaningful benchmarks to encourage greater involvement in our democracy. Furthermore, the letters clearly state that VPC is a non-profit organization, and the mailings offer a way to easily be removed from our mailing list.”
In June, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose issued a warning about mailers from the same organization that included partially filled-out voter registration forms. He called the letters “misleading” and said they could cause confusion for voters.
Monday, LaRose’s office reiterated its call for voters to use the Secretary of State and Board of Elections websites as trusted sources for information.
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