ATLANTA — With a push towards the Georgia primary on March 24, an 11Alive viewer wanted to know if a voter application she got in the mail is legitimate.
Regina shared the mailer she received with the Verify team, adding "I got something from a place called VPC (The Voter Participation Center) about voter registration and want to know if it is legitimate or not."
The letter's introduction starts by saying "no one at this address is currently registered to vote…" and includes instructions on how to register plus a form labeled "State of Georgia Voter Registration Application."
The letterhead indicates the materials came from the Voter Participation Center. According to GuideStar, which tracks nonprofits, the group is a 501(c)(3) based in Washington, D.C.
11Alive's Liza Lucas also reached out to the center directly.
Turns out, the VPC has been busy mailing 5.4 million voter registration applications in September across 15 states, including more than 560,000 applications in Georgia.
According to a press released shared by a VPC spokesperson, the mailings target certain demographics of unregistered voters, including single women, Millennials and people of color.
With that information, we can verify the Voter Participation Center sent the applications.
Also included? A pre-paid envelope addressed to Georgia's Secretary of State Elections Office. According to the VPC website, the envelope is included so as to send completed registration forms directly to election officials.
"Since 2003, VPC has helped more than 4 million Americans register to vote. In Georgia alone, that includes more than 206,000 people. By mailing voter-registration applications to prospective voters, VPC enables eligible individuals to fill in and sign the state registration applications and mail them straight to election registrars’ offices in pre-addressed envelopes to be certified by government officials," the release said.
As a result, the Verify team sent the envelope and application to state officials asking for further details.
A spokesperson for GA's Secretary of State's office said they always encourage all eligible Georgians to vote, and when it comes to third party voter registrations, officials encourage Georgians to double check the form to make sure it's indeed correct.
State officials also said the easiest way to register is by visiting Georgia Secretary of State's website online.
11Alive did, however, verify the VPC's application matches the wording of the downloadable form available on the state's website.
Because voter registration is a county function in Georgia, third party applications sent to the state election division would be forwarded to the appropriate county contact. According to the state's website, the counties issue precinct cards after reviewing and processing applications.
According to the VPC, recipients who receive a registration form in error can remove their name on the center's website.