The presidential election is fast approaching, and efforts are underway to make sure eligible voters are registered to vote.
In a Lighthouse report, Charles Benson was asked to look into a voter registration mailer that surprised the person who received it.
It's common to get mass mailings in a pivotal presidential election year!
But when a voter registration mailer landed at an office in downtown Milwaukee the person who received it and wanted to remain anonymous wondered why and asked me to check it out, so I did.
The mailer was addressed to the current resident at a commercial building.
The return address is from The Center for Voter Information and in bold letters clearly states, 'voter registration form enclosed'.
TMJ4 asked Sam Liebert with the nonpartisan voter advocacy group "All Voting is Local" to look at the mailer.
"I mean just upon initial inspection - it looks like it's from probably some voting rights group, I assume nonpartisan to try to increase voter turnout", concluded Liebert. "Overall, it appears to be legit."
Liebert says he used to field questions from voters confused about their voter registration status after getting these kinds of mailers when he worked on elections for different municipalities.
The mailer comes with specific instructions on what is required to register to vote in Wisconsin and who is eligible to register, including questions about being a US citizen.
"It looks like this is a proper registration form," said Liebert. "In Wisconsin, we have our own unique form."
However, the person who received this mailer wondered why it was sent to an office building and if the Center for Voter Information was a reliable organization.
"I lead the Voter Participation Center and the Center for Voter Information," said Tom Lopach, CEO of The Center for Voter Information.
“We use high volume, direct mail, and digital outreach to help folks register to vote and turn out to vote in particular from underrepresented communities."
The nonprofit -nonpartisan organization says it has helped six million people register to vote across the country over two decades.
This year it has already sent 89,000 voter registration mailers in Wisconsin and expects to send more than 3 million pieces of mail to register or to get out the vote this election cycle.
So how did this mailer end up in the hands of a local business?
According to Lopach, "There is no list of unregistered voters in the United States. So, when we do our work, we have to go out and get commercial data and address files."
He added," Inevitably there may be a point where something is sent to a business instead of a residence."
The voter registration form includes information on how to check your registration status or to sign up online at the state's official website.
Liebert's best advice: "Anytime you get something to do with your voter registration at least take a quick glimpse at it - and if you do have questions call your local clerk or elections commission."
Anyone in Milwaukee who fills out the mailer form is given an envelope to send it to city hall's election office where it will be vetted. It does not go to the voter registration group.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission would not comment specifically on this group's mailer but did direct us to their website to help voters identify an official government mail from the state.
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