Maryland AG Orders Group to Stop Sending Threatening Letters to Voters

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Voter Information Center/Voter Participation Center, accusing the organization of attempting to intimidate voters through mailings.

The letter was sent in response to numerous complaints from Maryland residents who received letters suggesting that if they choose not to vote in the upcoming election, their voting history will be shared with their neighbors.

The letters, titled “Voting Tables,” reportedly detail whether recipients voted in each of the last four elections and compare that data to the anonymous voting records of two nearby neighbors.

The letters include statements such as: “We are sending this letter to you and your neighbors to tell you who is voting and who is not voting to encourage participation in the election,” and conclude with: “We will review these records after elections to determine whether you have joined our neighbors in voting.”

Attorney General Brown condemned the mailings as “unnerving and unacceptable,” adding, “Voting is one of the most important rights Marylanders have. Any actions that intimidate potential voters, especially on the eve of such an important election, will not be tolerated.”

The letters, Brown’s office said, could be construed as threats under Maryland law, which prohibits any attempt to influence a voter’s decision through intimidation or threats. Maryland law allows access to voting records but prohibits the information from being used to intimidate or coerce voters.

Brown’s office said CVI/VPC has assured the Attorney General’s Office that it has no plans to disclose individuals’ voting history after the election and will refrain from sending further mailings to Maryland residents.

In his letter, Brown demands that CVI agree to a court order to stop what he called “harassing and unacceptable” mailings.