Frequently Asked Questions on Non-Partisan Voter Registration Program
The League of Conservation Voters Education Fund (LCVEF) has launched a 21-state mail program in which nearly 1 million voter registration applications have been sent to formerly registered residents who have recently moved and may no longer be eligible to vote. LCVEF, which is a charitable non-profit environmental organization, is committed to encouraging citizens to participate in the democratic process. (Download FAQ)
Q. Why did you send me this mailing?
A. The purpose of these mailings is to increase voter participation in the 2012 elections and beyond. We are sending voter registration applications to people who have recently moved to or within a state and have not re-registered at their new address.
Q. How many voter registration applications are you sending?
A. In June, LCVEF sent nearly 1 million applications to citizens in 21 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
Q. Why are you mailing to voters in these 21 states?
A. We selected states where LCVEF has a partner state affiliate and there are large numbers of eligible voters who were registered at a previous address but not at their current address. These voters should update their voter registration information or register in their new county or state to vote in the 2012 elections.
Q. Have you been in touch with state elections officials?
A. To ensure that we are in full compliance with state and federal laws governing voter registration, we provide copies of our mailers to the applicable secretaries of state and/or other state election officials. Elections officials have been asked to review and suggest any changes to our mailers.
Q. How did you get my name and address?
A. We use commercially-available change of address information and tracking systems. We mail voter registration forms only to individuals included on multiple residential databases who are not on a state’s list of registered voters at their current address.
Q. What does the voter registration mailer look like?
A. For most states, the mailing includes a voter registration form that is already filled out with the person’s name and current address, and a return envelope addressed to either their state or local elections official
Q. What do I need to do?
A. All you need to do is confirm or correct your name and address, complete a few additional pieces of information, sign and date the form, put it in the envelope provided and mail the envelope to their state or local elections official. In Pennsylvania, voters will receive a mailer that includes a blank voter registration form because pre-completed forms are not allowed.
Q. How can I remove my name from the list?
A. It’s very easy. As the mail piece indicates, just send an email - including the unique identification code included on the mailing - to remove@lcvef.org asking to be removed.
Q. Why would information on these mailings be out of date?
A. We work hard to ensure the accuracy of our mailings and rely on information provided from commercially-available change of address information and tracking systems. Our lists reflect the most recent information available from these sources, but this information may contain out-of date, incomplete, or incorrect information. In order to help us improve our lists, we need to hear from you about any information that is not correct. If you receive a mailing with out-of-date information, we would like to hear from you at remove@lcvef.org so we can correct your information and work with our data sources to get more up-to-date information for our mailings.
Q. Are you reaching and trying to register non-citizens?
A. No. Our practices for registration are similar to those used by the states: the instructions in each voter registration application packet we provide make it very clear that only U.S. citizens should respond. We mail applications only to people who were registered to vote at a previous address, so our list should not have non-citizens.
