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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsA Mysterious Group Is Threatening to Publicly Shame Pennsylvanians Who Don't Vote
A Mysterious Group Is Threatening to Publicly Shame Pennsylvanians Who Dont Vote
By Alana Abramson 10:12 AM EDT
Pennsylvania voters are reportedly receiving e-mails and letters with threats of public condemnation if they dont head to the polls in Tuesdays primary elections.
http://time.com/5277651/pennsylvania-letters-threaten-non-voters/
According to the local Pennsylvania news site Lancaster Online, some voters in the Keystone state have recently been sent letters that lists whether they and their neighbors voted in past elections.
Why do so many people fail to vote? Weve been talking about the problem for years, but it only seems to get worse. This year were taking a new approach, reads the letter, a copy of which was obtained by Lancaster Online. Were sending this mailing to you, your friends, your neighbors, your colleagues at work, and your community members, to publicize who does and does not vote.
The letter subsequently states that additional information will be provided after Tuesdays primary.
The group sending the letters is called the Pennsylvania State Voter Program. Randall Wenger, the Chief Clerk of the Lancaster County Board of Elections, told Lancaster Online that the letters had surfaced in seven counties, including Lancaster, and that his office had been inundated with calls after people received them.
While some recipients have said the letters feel invasive, voter rolls including who voted are a matter of public record in Pennsylvania and many other states.
The Pennsylvania Department of State said voters in other states have received similar letters, according to Lancaster Online, leading them to think this is a nationwide effort.
Tuesdays primaries in Pennsylvania are the first state-wide elections with a new Congressional map, which was reworked by the states Supreme Court following a gerrymandering lawsuit.
I am almost tempted to think this might be a good idea. Too many voters do stay home.
Tiggeroshii
(11,088 posts)I think he spear headed it.
marble falls
(57,405 posts)Having people who genuinely don't give a poop voting for Trump probably wouldn't be a good thing.
Tiggeroshii
(11,088 posts)We need more people engaged
leftstreet
(36,117 posts)even those who regularly do
Amishman
(5,559 posts)lpbk2713
(42,770 posts)Last edited Tue May 15, 2018, 11:55 AM - Edit history (1)
"If you want to shame her publicly then let's see what we can do with that."
marble falls
(57,405 posts)Added: you were joking, right? If not I'll delete and apologize and tell you: I am sincerely sorry for your loss. My wife means the world to me.
lpbk2713
(42,770 posts)Thanks for your sentiments just the same. And please excuse.
marble falls
(57,405 posts)the little Lutheran in me said, "what if....." and then alter boy said, "whoa, what about your eternal soul....."
It was funny.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,400 posts)Their website hides behind a proxy company, and the name was only set up on 2nd May:
https://whois.icann.org/en/lookup?name=pa-voter.org
and they have a 'privacy policy page that looks like a joke:
http://pa-voter.org/privacy.html
In the UK, I expect they could be sued under the Data Protection Act - if a company keeps computer records on people (even if it obtained them from public sources) they have to take care about whether the information is accurate (plenty of reports say these aren't) and who it allows access to. Whether Pennsylvania has an equivalent law, I don't know.