Why did I receive a “voter report card” in the mail for this election?

Oregonians received political letters that Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said contained “intimidation and threats.”

Most “vote reports” come from the Center for Voter Information (CVI). The mailers include recipients’ addresses and voting history in addition to information about so-called “your neighbors.” The names and house numbers of the neighbors are obscured, but the streets are indicated. Some of the “neighbors” listed in the letters reviewed by the Statesman Journal were more than two miles away from the recipient’s address.

Similar letters were sent out by the Progressive Turnout Project, but they did not raise the same alarm across the country.

However, the Turnout Project mailings have almost identical wording.

Brown’s letter accused CVI and its sister organization, the Center for Voter Participation, of violating Maryland law and the Voting Rights Act. Statements from the sender such as “we will be reviewing these records after the election to determine whether you joined your neighbors in voting” imply that a person’s voting records will be revealed and put pressure on them, he said.

Legal Advisor CVI said the messages are “very standard” and that CVI will not and does not “publish(d) information that identifies specific voters and their voting history.” Brown’s office said they would not take further action.

Laura Kerns, a spokeswoman for the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office, said election officials were aware of the letters and why recipients might be concerned about them, but “there is nothing illegal about this particular mail.”

Marion County Clerk Bill Burgess said he heard from a recipient who was “very upset” and “terrified” by the letter. He said these types of email programs can cause confusion about the sender.

In 2020 CVI submitted applications vote by mail for approximately 500,000 Virginians with incorrect return addresses.

Who is behind the Voter Information Center and the Turnout Project?

According to CVI, and the Progressive Turnout Project lean left. Influence Look. The Progressive Turnout Project makes its views public on its website. At the top of the mailers, it identifies itself only as “The Turnout Project,” with the full name written in fine print at the bottom.

Rep. Claudia Tenney, RN.Y., wrote to the tax office in September called for an investigation into the nonprofit status of the Voter Participation Center. Tenney said the group was focused on registering Democrats rather than meeting the party requirements needed to gain 501(c)(3) status.

Group replied saying they target underrepresented voter groups.

CVI is based in Washington, DC. The mail items reviewed by the Statesman Journal showed a return address for a post office in Olympia, Washington. CVI was founded by Page Gardner, who worked with former President Bill Clinton’s campaign. Its current president and CEO is Tom Lopach, who also previously worked for Democratic Party campaigns.

The mailers are signed by board chairwoman Gail Kitsch, founder and CEO of a Washington, D.C.-based political consulting group. Kitsch was executive director of the PBS program “By the People” from 2003 to 2011.

The Turnout Project is based in Chicago and was founded by Harry Pascal. The organization is affiliated with Stop Republicans. Both have faced criticism for their tactics. The mailings reviewed by the Statesman Journal listed the return address of a UPS store on Market Street.

How did they get my information?

Political mail services receive your information in the same way. companies that send political texts do.

Voter registration lists, which show when and whether someone voted, their address, phone number and other information, are publicly available. In Oregon, lists are provided to political parties free of charge, but are available to everyone else for a fee.

“How a person voted is private, but what election they voted in is a public record,” Kearns said.

Anastasia Mason covers state government for the Statesman Journal. Contact her at [email protected] or 971-208-5615.