Officials with Chester County’s Department of Voter Services are issuing a notice to county residents regarding a mailer that comes from a private non-profit organization called the Voter Participation Center.
The Voter Participation Center mailer, which states “Government Document Enclosed” on the envelope, contains a letter referencing the accuracy of voter registration records, a valid Pennsylvania Voter Registration Application, and a postage paid envelope addressed to Chester County’s Voter Registration Office. Chester County’s Department of Voter Services is not affiliated with the Voter Participation Center or its mailings, and did not provide any information to the organization, including database mailing or voter registration information.
The organization has come under fire previously, particularly during the 2012 campaign for sending voter materials to deceased people and, in one case in Virginia, a pet.
According to Kara Rahn, Director of Chester County Voter Services, “Some residents who have received the mailer are contacting our office to note inaccuracies of names and addresses – sometimes regarding members of the family who are deceased, which is obviously most distressing.”
“This is most likely because of the purchase of a commercially available database by the Voter Participation Center. We want to make sure there is no confusion regarding this mailer, and ask that anyone who wishes to check their voter registration status should contact our office and disregard the mailing.”
The Chester County Department of Voter Services is the county office for the best, and most accurate voter registration information. For information about how to register to vote, or how to change any current voter registration information, contact the Department of Voter Services by calling 610-344-6410 or go to www.chesco.org and type in “Voter Services’ in the search bar.
