Maryland voters have been getting ‘intimidating’ letters that keep tabs of which of their neighbors have or have not voted – in a tactic Maryland’s attorney general called ‘unnerving.’
The letters, from the so-called Voter Participation Center, a nonprofit, remind voters that whether or not they vote is a ‘public record.’
The letter lists the voting status of neighbors as well, with street information and names redacted.
‘We will be reviewing these records after the election to determine whether or not you joined your neighbors in voting,’ the letter warns, in language some called threatening.
Maryland’s attorney general called it ‘unnerving’
The letter, which hit mailboxes in Baltimore, begins: ‘We’re sending this mailing to you and to 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 privacy, these are true voting records.’
The matter attracted the attention off the office of Attorney General Anthony Brown, who issued a cease and desist letter.
The matter attracted the attention off the office of Attorney General Anthony Brown, who issued a cease and desist letter.
Somebody’s watching: Maryland voters got a letter pointing out that the status of whether or not they voted was public information, and stated whether or not their neighbors had voted
‘Voting is among the most important rights that Marylanders have. Any action that intimidates prospective voters, especially on the eve of such a consequential election, will not be tolerated,’ he wrote.
‘Let me be clear: these unnerving letters are unacceptable, and Maryland voters should know that their decision to vote this Election Day is entirely theirs to make.’
The state features a hot Senate race, where Democrat Angela Alsobrooks is trying to maintain a Democratic-held seat amid a push to unseat her by former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan.
Maryland features a Senate race between Democrat Angela Alsobrooks and former Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican
The Voter Participation and the Center for Voter Information are nonprofit. Scott Thomas, an attorney for the group with Blank Rome, wrote the AG to reject the accusation of intimidation in his October 31 letter.
‘It is troubling that you would characterize these very standard [Get Out the Vote] messages, using typical ‘social pressure’ language, as ‘threatening’ and ‘intimidating.’
‘There is nothing in the content of these letters that constitutes a violation of Maryland or Federal law,’ it goes on.
‘It is not ‘intimidating’ or ‘threatening’ to promote voting by discussing neighborhood participation rates and stating that the records will be reviewed after the election to determine whether the recipient joined their neighbors in voting.’
He attached copies of the letter, which also includes ‘voting options.’
Although the group is nonpartisan, it was founded by a Democratic operative and has been linked to Democratic politics.
The group also gave $47,000 to President Joe Biden’s former presidential campaign.
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It has also been bombarding people’s mailboxes with mail ballot requests, in a move some recipients who got multiple copies found annoying.
Those moves have swamped election offices, in a year, like most, when there have been legal skirmishes over governors purging voter rolls, problems with ballot collection boxes, and voter registration forms being scoured for potential fraud.
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