Mark S. Earley, Supervisor of Elections for Leon County, via a press release on Wednesday March 24, alerted voters to unofficial voter registration mailings sent to Leon County residents. The releases stated that “During the next week, nearly 4,000 Leon County residents will receive letters from the Voter Participation Center. Each letter contains a voter registration application form and a return envelope addressed to the Leon County Supervisor of Elections Office.
The release noted that the “Leon County Supervisor of Elections Office has neither printed nor distributed these mailings. The Voter Participation Center is a nongovernmental, third party organization. It is not affiliated with the Leon County Supervisor of Elections Office.”
Online reports indicate that the group was founded under the name “Women’s Voices Women Vote,” a 501(c)(3) charity focused on registering single women to vote. In 2011, Women’s Voices Women Vote officially “renamed itself the Voter Participation Center to reflect a portfolio formally broadened after 2008 to cover the so-called “Rising American Electorate”—a set of liberal voting blocs including single women, young people, and newly naturalized citizens that some progressives believe will create the “Emerging Democratic Majority.
“These mailings often contain outdated or inaccurate information about the recipient’s registration status,” said Supervisor Earley. “Incorrect data in past mailings has misled or angered voters who received them for family members who are deceased, never resided in the household, or are addressed to minor children or even pets. And for voters who have lost the right to vote due to felony conviction and not yet regained it by completing all sentencing terms, these forms may confuse them into thinking they have regained their voting rights. If anyone is unsure about their eligibility, I strongly encourage them to contact my office directly before completing a voter registration application.”
Voters can check their official voter registration status at LeonVotes.gov by clicking on the “How Do I?” button or by calling the Elections Office. Leon County residents who wish to register and current voters who need to update their registration can visit RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov, Florida’s official online voter registration system.
Residents who wish to be removed from future mailings from the Voter Participation Center are encouraged to contact the organization directly.