'Vote History Audits' Cause Voter Panic Across Tristate, Nation
By: Kayla Moody
Updated: October 31, 2012
An apparent politically fueled flier is causing widespread voter concern in the Tri-State, and across the nation. The letters are being sent by an organization based out of Fairfax, Virginia, called Americans for Limited Government.
The flier claims to be a neighborhood voting record audit, but election officials say that is far from the truth. The fliers list an individual's name, address and voter participation for 2008, 2010 and 2012. It also lists that person's neighbors and their voting history.
Newburgh resident Barbara Rogers is among those who received a flier from Americans for Limited Government. Rogers, an avid voter, was alarmed when the "audit" said she didn't vote in 2008 and 2010. "I did, in fact, vote," says Rogers.
Rogers voted last week. After receiving the organization's flier, she started to worry her most recent vote -- and votes during previous years -- were never counted. Rogers called the Warrick County election office and quickly learned she wasn't the only person who received the letter. The employee who answered the phone told Rogers she had received "hundreds of calls" from other county voters regarding the fliers.
Warrick County Clerk Sarah Redman says her office has been inundated with calls regarding the letters. She says the phones started ringing 'off the hook' as soon as the fliers arrived in residents' mailboxes. "We had well over a hundred calls in our election office alone, which is very difficult to deal with in the midst of voting," says Redman.
She says the information being printed in the letters does not accurately reflect voting records. "The two that I looked at, I looked at each and every one of those voters [on the flier] and I would say 75-percent of this information is incorrect," says Redman.
Redman says she doesn't understand the message the organization is trying to send to voters. "I feel like it's an intrusive tactic to essentially bully people to get out and vote," says Redman. "My best advice is to ignore these."
Rogers tried to contact Americans for Limited Government to express her concerns with the fliers and inquire about the organization's motive behind sending the fliers. But when she called the organization, she was transferred to voice mailboxes -- all of which said, "this mailbox is full." Eyewitness News received the same response when we also tried to contact the organization.
Voters, like Rogers, want answers. "We want to encourage everyone to vote but I don't know that this encourages anyone to vote and I don't know what their purpose is," says Rogers. "It alarmed me, so I'm sure it's alarming a lot of other people." Rogers is right : people from all over the country are expressing their anger and concerns with the fliers on the organization's Facebook page.
Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson is warning Hoosiers of the letters from Americans for Limited Government. Lawson released a statement Tuesday, saying she had received numerous complaints from Hoosier voters who received letters. She is advising voters to disregard the fliers.
The flier claims to be a neighborhood voting record audit, but election officials say that is far from the truth. The fliers list an individual's name, address and voter participation for 2008, 2010 and 2012. It also lists that person's neighbors and their voting history.
Newburgh resident Barbara Rogers is among those who received a flier from Americans for Limited Government. Rogers, an avid voter, was alarmed when the "audit" said she didn't vote in 2008 and 2010. "I did, in fact, vote," says Rogers.
Rogers voted last week. After receiving the organization's flier, she started to worry her most recent vote -- and votes during previous years -- were never counted. Rogers called the Warrick County election office and quickly learned she wasn't the only person who received the letter. The employee who answered the phone told Rogers she had received "hundreds of calls" from other county voters regarding the fliers.
Warrick County Clerk Sarah Redman says her office has been inundated with calls regarding the letters. She says the phones started ringing 'off the hook' as soon as the fliers arrived in residents' mailboxes. "We had well over a hundred calls in our election office alone, which is very difficult to deal with in the midst of voting," says Redman.
She says the information being printed in the letters does not accurately reflect voting records. "The two that I looked at, I looked at each and every one of those voters [on the flier] and I would say 75-percent of this information is incorrect," says Redman.
Redman says she doesn't understand the message the organization is trying to send to voters. "I feel like it's an intrusive tactic to essentially bully people to get out and vote," says Redman. "My best advice is to ignore these."
Rogers tried to contact Americans for Limited Government to express her concerns with the fliers and inquire about the organization's motive behind sending the fliers. But when she called the organization, she was transferred to voice mailboxes -- all of which said, "this mailbox is full." Eyewitness News received the same response when we also tried to contact the organization.
Voters, like Rogers, want answers. "We want to encourage everyone to vote but I don't know that this encourages anyone to vote and I don't know what their purpose is," says Rogers. "It alarmed me, so I'm sure it's alarming a lot of other people." Rogers is right : people from all over the country are expressing their anger and concerns with the fliers on the organization's Facebook page.
Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson is warning Hoosiers of the letters from Americans for Limited Government. Lawson released a statement Tuesday, saying she had received numerous complaints from Hoosier voters who received letters. She is advising voters to disregard the fliers.
