KENOSHA, Wis. — Kenosha County Clerk Regi Waligora is warning residents about absentee ballot request forms being mailed to local voters by the Voter Participation Center, stressing that the organization is private, is not affiliated with local election officials and that the documents being sent are not actual absentee ballots.
Waligora issued the warning Tuesday after some local voters reported receiving the mailings. She said the forms can appear official and may arrive pre-filled with a recipient’s information, but election officials do not send unsolicited voter forms to the public and have no oversight over third-party mailings.
“These mailings cause confusion, especially among voters who have not requested an absentee ballot and generally do not vote absentee,” Waligora said. She said she personally received similar mail addressed to her adult children, who have not lived or voted in Wisconsin for more than five years. Waligora said she suspects third-party organizations may be working from outdated voter lists containing incorrect information.
Wisconsin law does not prohibit private organizations or political parties from mailing voter-registration forms or absentee-ballot request forms, according to Waligora. However, she cautioned that receiving a third-party form containing incorrect information does not necessarily mean election officials have incorrect information in the voter’s official record.
Waligora emphasized that only the voter may request an absentee ballot for themselves, with an exception for voters with disabilities who lawfully receive assistance.
“If someone other than the voter or a lawful assister requests an absentee ballot, they could be referred to a district attorney for prosecution,” Waligora said.
Waligora said names and addresses appearing on the mailings are public information available for third-party groups to obtain from the state. Residents who receive one of the mailings and have questions or concerns are encouraged to contact their municipal clerk. Voters may also contact the organization that sent the mailing and request removal from its mailing list.
Voters can independently verify their registration information and check whether an absentee ballot request is on file through Wisconsin’s official MyVote website.
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