Lots of us get other people\u2019s mail from time to time, but a Fort Lauderdale man said what showed up in his mailbox left him alarmed. He feared the personal documents could open people to identity theft or lead to voter fraud. Courtney Allen has the story in this 7Investigates. <\/p>\n
What was supposed to be a new beginning.<\/p>\n
Eric, Fort Lauderdale resident: \u201cIn January, I moved into a new apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Has become a growing headache for this Fort Lauderdale man.<\/p>\n
Eric: \u201cEver since, I\u2019ve been getting mail from the former tenants. I think about four different people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric says when he moved into a new apartment in January, he expected it to take some time for his mail situation to be sorted out.<\/p>\n
Eric: \u201cBut by February, that\u2019s when I started getting proactive. I called my local post office, went, and spoke to the postal carrier. I sent emails on the post office website. And it never stopped.\u201d<\/p>\n
A recent delivery made him concerned.<\/p>\n
Four voter information cards showed up in his mailbox\u2014one for Eric and three for people who apparently lived at the apartment before him.<\/p>\n
Eric: \u201cWhen I got the voter registration cards, I just felt that\u2019s something that\u2019s very dangerous, not just for me, but for the entire country.\u201d<\/p>\n
So, we went to the Broward County Supervisor of Elections, Joe Scott, to see if he was concerned about these documents ending up in the wrong mailbox.<\/p>\n
Joe Scott, Broward County Supervisor of Elections: \u201cSo interesting enough that the voter ID card is really just a reference for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scott says the cards include polling location information, the voter ID number, and the voter\u2019s name, but adds that you cannot vote with the cards.<\/p>\n
Joe Scott: \u201cYou do need a photo ID. I mean, it\u2019s been the law in Florida for a very long time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scott says there\u2019s no risk for voter fraud if the cards show up at the wrong address, but he adds the elections office also counts on the U.S. Postal Service for accurate information about where voters live.<\/p>\n
Eric says he contacted the Post Office to fix the issue, but feels he\u2019s gotten the run-around from everyone he turned to for help.<\/p>\n
Eric: \u201cI really feel that nobody cared, not the postal carrier, not the supervisor in the Post Office.<\/p>\n
A postal service spokesperson said: \u201cI would check all names in the forwarding system\u2026\u201d which should help determine what\u2019s going on and \u201c\u2026get the situation corrected.\u201d<\/p>\n
At last check, Eric says he\u2019s still getting mail for prior tenants.<\/p>\n
USPS says signing up for mail forwarding when you move is a temporary fix, and residents still need to update their address with banks, insurance companies, and other institutions.<\/p>\n
Courtney Allen, 7News.<\/p>\n