Virginia Voters Confused by Suspect Registration Letters

RICHMOND, VA — Some Virginia residents have been receiving confusing mailers from outside groups that incorrectly appear to be from state election officials. Now reaching a level where the Virginia Department of Elections is stepping in to set the record straight.

Calling the leaders "misleading," a statement notes the letters include the street address and contact information of the Virginia Department of Elections office. "These letters did not come from the department and are not official election mail," the agency said in a statement.

It identifies two organizations that appear to be responsible for some of the mailings, America's Future and the Voter Participation Center.

America's Future clearly is a right-leaning organization while the Voter Participation Center is an outfit geared toward registering voters primarily among unmarried white females, minorities and millennials.

"Letters sent by these organizations have reportedly been addressed to individuals who were already properly registered, are not qualified to register at the mailing address or are deceased," according to elections Commissioner Edgardo Cortés.

The departments says it has received numerous phone calls from voters who wondered about why they received the letters.

"As a reminder, Virginia voters can always confirm their current voter registration status and submit necessary updates on the Department of Elections' secure Citizen Portal at vote.virginia.gov," according to Cortés.

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