A mailing from the Connecticut State Voter Project sent to some homes in Connecticut looks official, but it's not, and the information inside left some voters shocked.
“I felt like it had personal information on it. Not just mine but all of my neighbors and whether or not they voted,” said Beth Watson, of Norwich.
The mailing is from the Connecticut State Voter Project, which is not registered with the state of Connecticut. The only address associated with the organization is a post office box at a UPS store in Greenwich. In their mailer, they say they are sending the flyer to publicize who does and does not vote.
The chart in the mailing shows the names of neighbors and whether they voted in 2016, August 2018, and November 2018. It is information that is all available to the public.
“It’s kinda like their personal information that I don’t feel like I needed to have,” Watson said.
The mailing says they plan to send a follow up mailer that shows whether everyone voted on Nov. 3.
“You and your friends, your neighbors, and other people you know will all know who voted and who did not vote,” the mailing says.
Local
Secretary of the State Denise Merrill says her office is just learning about the letters.
“There’s nothing untoward I guess about them having the information, but whether or not it spills into voter intimidation I guess we’ll have to refer it to elections enforcement and see what they say about that,” Merrill said.
The Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Commission said it is aware of the mailer.
“We have received many calls from concerned citizens, but no formal complaint. We’re very aware of the issue and will continue to monitor the situation.”
“It’s creepy. I would grant you that. I don’t know if it actually constitutes voter intimidation,” Merrill says
