Letters disguised as official mail share voting histories

Envelopes include chart and info of recipient and several neighbors

“I don’t feel it’s anyone’s business whether or not I voted. Granted it is public information but to send a letter out that almost condemns you for not voting isn’t right.”

CINDI CROSIER OF UNCASVILLE

Residents across the state have been opening their mailboxes this month to find envelopes stamped with a notice of “important election information.” Inside, rather than the official election mail it appears to be, they’ve found letters encouraging them to vote that share information about their neighbors’ voting history.

The envelopes, which appear at first glance to contain official information, include a chart that lists the recipients’ name and the names of several of their neighbors, and whether or not those people have voted in recent years.

Cindi Crosier of Uncasville received one of the letters this week

and her name and her mother’s name were listed.

Crosier said she opened the letter to determine if there was any personal information inside, to decide if she should toss it or shred it. But when she saw what the envelope contained, she said she was annoyed.

“I don’t feel it’s anyone’s business whether or not I voted. Granted it is public information but to send a letter out that almost condemns you for not voting isn’t right,” she said.

Above the list of names and voter activity is a message that begins with “What if your friends, your neighbors, your community knew whether you voted?”

The letter goes on to say, “This year, we’re taking a new approach. We’re sending this mailing to you, your friends, your neighbors, your colleagues at work, and your community members to publicize who does and does not vote.”

Below the letter, which ends with, “do your civic duty — vote on November 3rd!” is a chart that lists at least 10 voters’ names, what town they live in, and whether or not they voted in November 2016, August 2018 and November 2018.

Crosier said she questioned the mailers’ intentions. “I don’t know if it constitutes voter intimidation but it looks like they are trying to do that,” she said.

Beth Watson of Norwich felt similarly when she received the same kind of letter on Monday. She said it made her feel “violated.”

“I know you can find names on the internet but all my neighbors’ names and whether they voted or not seemed like an invasion of privacy,” she said. “I don’t need to know if my neighbors voted.”

According to the return address on the envelope, the letters are being sent by the Connecticut State Voter Project, 15 E. Putnam Ave., Suite 180, Greenwich. According to the UPS website, that address is associated with a UPS store.

The Secretary of the State’s Office said it did not have any information about the organization or where the letters came from. Gina Attanasoff, a spokesperson for the office, said the office had referred the issue to the State Elections Enforcement Commission.

The SEEC said it is aware of the letters but has not been able to start investigating, since nothing has been formally filed about the letters.

“We have received many calls from concerned citizens, but no formal complaints or referrals yet,” Michael J. Brandi, executive director and general counsel of the SEEC, said in a statement. “We’re very aware of the issue and will continue to monitor the situation and the commission will thoroughly investigate if requested to do so.”

As of Friday, it still had not received any referrals or formal complaints.