GAB: Don't rely on mailings for voting information

WLUK TV

Updated: Oct 8, 2012 3:49 PM

MADISON — Don’t rely on mailings for information on how to vote.

That’s the message from state elections officials, who say mailings often come from political groups or the parties themselves.

"Every election we get complaints about these types of mailings," Kennedy said. "Political parties and interest groups send out glossy mailers to encourage voters to register or apply for an absentee ballot to vote by mail. While these mailings are permissible, our advice to voters is to examine them carefully before relying on them for definitive information about participating in the electoral process," said Government Accountability Board chairman Kevin Kennedy.

The GAB says the most common problem with the mailings is that they contain the wrong return address for municipal clerks. That can result in the request being misdirected or delayed, or, in some cases, a voter’s ballot not being counted. The mailings can also create extra work for clerks if a person who is already registered to vote tries to duplicate the registration process.

The GAB encourages people to use its MyVote.WI.gov website for accurate, updated information. There, voters can check to see if they’re registered, find out when and where to vote, and see a sample ballot.

Click here to visit MyVote.WI.gov

People who do not have access to the Internet can use a phone book to look up the number to their local city, village or town clerk for voting information.

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