County Clerk seeks to inform the public on third-party absentee ballot mailings
Mailers that some local voters have reported receiving recently from the Voter Participation Center are from a private, third-party organization that is not affiliated with election officials, Kenosha County Clerk Regi Waligora is advising.
While these mailings may look “official” to the recipient, it is important to recognize that they are only absentee ballot request forms — they are not absentee ballots, Waligora said.
Wisconsin law does not prohibit a private organization or party from sending out a voter registration form or an absentee ballot request form, Waligora said. She added that election officials have no oversight authority over third-party mailings, nor do election officials send unsolicited voter forms to the public.
Waligora cautioned that voter information on these third-party forms may be incorrect.
“These mailings cause confusion, especially among voters who have not requested an absentee ballot and generally do not vote absentee,” Waligora said. “Personally, I have received this type of mailing, addressed to my adult children who have not lived or voted in Wisconsin for more than five years. My guess is the third-party organizations are using outdated voter lists, which may contain incorrect information.”
Waligora said these forms will often come pre-filled with the recipient’s information. Receiving a mailing from a third-party with incorrect information doesn’t necessarily mean the voter’s information on file with election officials is incorrect, she added.
Voters can check to ensure their voter registration is up to date at https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/, and they can check to see whether they have an absentee ballot request on file at https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/Track-My-Ballot.
“It is important to know only a voter can request an absentee ballot for themself, unless the voter has a disability and requires authorized assistance with the act of requesting the absentee ballot,” Waligora said. “If someone other than the voter or a lawful assister requests an absentee ballot, they could be referred to a district attorney for prosecution.”
The information on these mailers (name and address) is not personal identifying information protected by law, Waligora said. This information is public and available for third-party groups to request from the state.
“If you receive such a mailing, and you have any questions or concerns, please report it to your municipal clerk,” Waligora said. “If you receive a mailing from the Voter Participation Center or any other such third party, you may contact them and ask to be removed from their mailing list.”
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