State Warns About Mailers
Mailers from a national political action committee (PAC) have led to jammed telephones at the State Board of Elections.
The SBOE said this morning that the Raleigh office has gotten numerous calls from North Carolinians “who are confused or angered” by mailers that include sometimes inaccurate information about voting activity in 2018 and 2020.
The mailer – sponsored by Voter Education Network Independent Expenditure PAC – instructs voters to contact the State Board of Elections if they believe the voting record on the card is incorrect. It includes the phone number and website of the State Board.
The group does not act directly on behalf of candidates or political parties, but in previous elections has campaigned against Republican candidates across the country. As an “independent network” PAC, it not required to meet stringent campaign reporting guidelines. The same group sent thousands of erroneous mailers to convicted felons and illegal immigrants in the 2020 election, leading some to register and vote during early polls.
The official-looking mailers include the words “Important Voter Notification” in red letters at the top and a chart with purported information about whether the voter voted in 2018 and 2020. At least some of the mailings also state: “According to your North Carolina state election record, you skipped the 2018 mid-term election.”
The State Board has determined that the voter information on the cards is sometimes incorrect and does not match official state voter records, according to the SBOE.
“These mailers are confusing to voters and have resulted in numerous calls to the State Board at a critical time in the election cycle,” said Patrick Gannon, public information director at the State Board. “We recognize the importance of efforts to encourage people to vote. However, providing inaccurate information decreases confidence in our elections, and encouraging voters to contact the State Board about their voting record from prior elections is unnecessary and stresses our limited resources.”
Voter history information and registration status can be confirmed by contacting the local elections board office, or going online to NCSBE.gov.
Voter history includes the date of each election or primary election in which the voter cast a ballot. It also shows the voting method: in-person on Election Day, one-stop early voting, absentee by mail, or provisional. For primary elections, the voter history record also includes which political party’s primary the voter participated in.
Here’s how to find your voter history record:
1. Go to the State Board’s Voter Search tool. (vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/)
2. Enter your first and last names, as they would appear on your voter record, into the required fields, then click “Search.”
3. From the resulting list, click on your name, which appears in blue type.
4. Scroll down to the “Your Voter History” section.
For more information about the Voter Search tool, see Your Voter Record.
The State Board of Elections reminds all voters to get accurate information about elections from state and county elections officials. Please visit NCSBE.gov.