Michigan Residents Confused By Third-Party Election Mail

If you've recently received one of these mailings-- or, like me, have been getting them for years-- you may have always assumed they were official election mail. They certainly look the part! But there's a detail that isn't always obvious at first glance:

These are third-party voter registration mailings, not letters from an actual government agency.

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Why You May Be Getting These Michigan Voter Mailings

Now, I happen to confidently know my voter registration status, so when I started receiving these random voter registration letters after a recent move, I lovingly placed them in the recycling bin. I'm all registered and ready to vote!

Center for Voter information Mail - 1

But I've now seen nearly identical posts from two Michigan communities, including the City of Battle Creek and Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope, addressing confusion surrounding these mailings from two third-party organizations, the Voter Participation Center and the Center for Voter Information.

While these letters are in fact a legitimate way to register to vote, they aren't sent by your local clerk's office or the state government.

These mailers did NOT come from the City of Battle Creek or the Board of Elections...Receiving one does NOT mean you’re not registered to vote...The forms included are legitimate voter registration applications — you can use them if you need to register or update your address. -- City of Battle Creek via Facebook 

You can always easily check your voter registration status at mi.gov/vote.