Columbus, Ohio – Election officials in Franklin County are alerting residents that thousands have received voter registration and absentee ballot applications in the mail from Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit groups. While the forms use the Ohio Secretary of State’s official paperwork, the mailings are not sent by state or local election offices.
Who is sending the mailers?
The Center for Voter Information and the Voter Participation Center, led by President and CEO Tom Lopach, say the mailings are part of a nationwide effort to boost voter participation among communities they consider underrepresented. The organizations report sending roughly 11.1 million registration applications across the United States, including 670,651 registration forms and 445,915 vote‑by‑mail applications in Ohio.
Impact in Franklin County
Franklin County Board of Elections Deputy Director David Payne estimates about 125,000 registration forms and 75,000 absentee ballot requests have been mailed to county residents. Payne notes the forms themselves are legitimate because they use the Secretary of State’s prescribed format.
However, officials are concerned that some mailings contain outdated or incorrect personal information, which could confuse voters who have moved or whose voting circumstances have changed. “Our main concern is that there are some information on the mailing list that’s not correct or outdated,” Payne said.
How the groups compile their lists
For absentee ballot applications, the nonprofits rely on Ohio’s publicly available voter file to identify people who regularly vote by mail or newly registered voters who may be unaware of mail‑in options. Registration mailers are generated from commercial data providers; the groups purchase large lists of Americans and their addresses, then filter for individuals they believe are not yet registered.
Lopach said each mailer costs about 66 cents to produce and send.
Political activity and scrutiny
OpenSecrets reports that the Center for Voter Information spent more than $500,000 in independent expenditures opposing Republican candidates or causes during the 2023‑2024 election cycle. The organization’s latest tax filing shows over $37 million in revenue, primarily from contributions.
Despite the spending record, Lopach maintains the groups are nonpartisan and focused on increasing participation among underrepresented voters. He explained that the Voter Participation Center tends to target people of color, younger voters, and unmarried women, while the Center for Voter Information focuses on white voters over age 35 who they say support a representative electorate.
What voters should do
Officials advise Ohio voters who receive these mailings not to assume the paperwork is fraudulent simply because it did not come from a government office. Voters should carefully review the personal information on the forms, confirm its accuracy, and, if in doubt, contact their county board of elections directly to verify registration status or request official absentee ballot information.
“We’re excited; this is kind of our Super Bowl, the election. And we’re proud of what we do here,” Payne said, emphasizing the importance of voter participation while urging residents to verify any mail they receive.
Original reporting: WOWO News/Talk (Fort Wayne) — read the source article.
