I’ve appreciated all of the websites that help people ascertain whether they are registered to vote at their current address. For instance, Vote.org requests that you provide your name, address, date of birth, and email address to show your record.
They note that “By entering your phone number and pressing ‘Check your registration,’ you consent to receive occasional text messages from Vote.org at 22821 via an automatic telephone dialing system.” However, the cellphone number is NOT required.
There are a bunch of other ones nationally. In addition, most, if not all, states provide such a service. When I use the New York State Board of Elections site, it informs me where I vote. It also provides me with my local Election District, County Legislative District, State Senate District, State Assembly District, US Congressional District, City or Town, and city ward.
So far, so good
However, I was disturbed by the page VoterRecords.com. It’s because ANYONE can get a voter’s info. The information for one of my sisters and her daughter lists their street address, their party affiliation, and their race and gender.
Moreover, I can find all of the Democrats in Raleigh, NC. There are “553,611 current and historical voter registration records in Idaho who are in the Republican Party.” And “20,494 current and historical voter registration records in Utah who are in the Libertarian Party.”
I found this really obtrusive. The site has information for the District of Columbia, and 18 states: AK, AR, CO, CT, FL, ID, LA, MI, MS, NV, NJ, NC, OH, OK, RI, UT, and WA. Thank goodness New York is not on the list.
I know political campaigns can get current lists of registered voters in their geographies to get people to sign their nominating petitions. But this is information that anyone can get. I wonder how they got the data. From the respective states?
