Mailers that some local voters have reported receiving recently from the Voter Participation
Center are from a private, third-party organization that is not affiliated with election officials,
Kenosha County Clerk Regi Waligora is advising.
While these mailings may look “official” to the recipient, it is important to recognize that they
are only absentee ballot request forms — they are not absentee ballots, Waligora said.
Wisconsin law does not prohibit a private organization or party from sending out a voter
registration form or an absentee ballot request form, Waligora said. She added that election
officials have no oversight authority over third-party mailings, nor do election officials send
unsolicited voter forms to the public.
Waligora cautioned that voter information on these third-party forms may be incorrect.
“These mailings cause confusion, especially among voters who have not requested an absentee
ballot and generally do not vote absentee,” Waligora said.
“Personally, I have received this type
of mailing, addressed to my adult children who have not lived or voted in Wisconsin for more
than five years. My guess is the third-party organizations are using outdated voter lists, which
may contain incorrect information.”
Waligora said these forms will often come pre-filled with the recipient’s information. Receiving
a mailing from a third-party with incorrect information doesn’t necessarily mean the voter’s
information on file with election officials is incorrect, she added.
Voters can check to ensure their voter registration is up to date at https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/,
and they can check to see whether they have an absentee ballot request on file at
https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/Track-My-Ballot.