Supervisors of elections in the tri-county are warning area residents of thousands of potentially misleading voter registration mailings that are being sent out.
Bill Keen (Sumter County), Wesley Wilcox (Marion County) and Alan Hays (Lake County) are encouraging residents to be on the lookout for letters from out-of-area groups like The Voter Participation Center (VCP), The Center for Voter Information (CVI) and several sister companies. Those organizations aren’t associated with the Florida Division of Elections or any of the three county elections offices.
Officials say the mailings are intended for unregistered voters, but the data used is often inaccurate and outdated. Previous mailings have resulted in pre-filled voter registration applications being sent to already registered voters, deceased people, minor children and even pets. These mailings also have created confusion regarding eligibility for voting – especially among residents who already are registered.
For those wishing to register or update their records, the Florida Division of Elections online portal is available at https://registertovoteflorida.gov/home. Otherwise, applicants may access Florida Voter Registration Application forms at their local Supervisor of Elections offices, area libraries and at the tax collector’s driver’s license offices. Registering in person is the best way to confirm that the application is received and the information is correct.
Lake County residents who know they are registered are urged to confirm their voter record by using the Voter Information Lookup Tool on the Supervisor of Elections website at LakeVotes.com or by calling the office at (352) 343-9734. Marion County residents can do the same by visiting https://www.votemarion.com/. And Sumter County residents can go to https://www.sumterelections.org.
Voters also are encouraged to contact the out-of-area agencies directly and asked to be taken off their contact lists. They can be reached at:
- Center for Voter Information, 1707 L Street NW, Suite 950, Washington, DC 20036. 1-866-290-1599, (202) 766-6575 or https://www.centerforvoterinformation.org/.
- The Voter Participation Center, 1–877-255-6750 or https://www.voterparticipation.org/.
