Mystery Letter Shames Voters In Placer County
AUBURN (CBS13) — A mystery mailer is vote-shaming people across Northern California into heading to the polls.
What happens inside your polling place is supposed to stay private, but neighbors in Placer County were surprised to learn their voting records are public information.
A letter is being sent to people's homes, revealing residents' voting history to friends, family, and neighbors.
"I was surprised that that information is even available," said Glenn McPherson, who received a letter with his name and voting history.
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It's sent from a mystery group: the Northern California State Voters Project.
It says McPherson didn't vote in the June 2018 special election.
In part, it reads, "We're sending this mailer to you, your family, your friends and your neighbors to let you know who does and who does not vote."
Some of McPherson's neighbors, his wife, and her business colleagues are mentioned in the letter too.
He says this is an invasion of his privacy and an odd way to encourage people to get out and vote.
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"The concept of the shaming someone into it, because your neighbors are going to know that you didn't vote, is really a peculiar way of going about it," McPherson said.
There is no phone number or physical address connected with the group. They are not a registered PAC. The only connection is the return address at the PO Box from the West Sacramento Post Office.
"Why somebody would put this information together in this format and send it out tonight I couldn't hazard to guess," said Ryan Ronco with the Placer County Registrar's Office.
He says this intimidation tactic is troubling but fully legal.
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"It certainly outrages us. Its a veiled threat of intimidation that is out there. We don't want voters to participate because they feel threatened in some way," Ronco said.
McPherson, who has only skipped one election, doesn't think this will drive people to the polls.
"If you think this is going to be productive, I think you're wrong," McPherson said.
The letters have been sent to the Secretary of State's Office. They say they are investigating.
Placer County has high voter turn out, usually 15 points above the statewide average.
