GREENSBORO, N.C. — Folks are getting report cards in the mail which give them a grade on their voting history. At first, it may seem like the information on the mailer is an invasion of privacy, but all the info is public record.
There are two mailers we've seen lately. The North Carolina State Board of Elections confirmed this summer that nearly 450,000 mailers were being sent out to voters this year.
REPORT CARD MAILER
It has your name at the top. It has your name and shows whether you voted in the last four general elections. It then gives you a rating based on the average of all voters.
THE NEIGHBOR LETTER
Again, your name is at the top. The paragraph says:
We're sending this mailing to you and your neighbors to share who does and does not vote in an effort to promote election participation. While we have hidden the name and street number of your neighbors to protect their privacy, these are their true voting records.
“Those mailers don't necessarily tell your neighbors how you voted but that you did in fact vote and your history. It is in fact legal, that info is public information and it's these third-party organizations to promote getting out the vote and one of the ways they're doing,” said Tim Tsuijii, Forsyth County Board of Elections Director.
The third party is the Voter Participation Venter. They take public information, that anyone can look up, and put on paper. If you want to unsubscribe from these letters there is a link.