Sec of State: disregard "voting audit" mailers

A flier claiming to show your voting habits is upsetting some Hoosiers.

It’s a mailer from the group called Americans for Limited Government, based in Virginia.

The mailing says it’s a “vote history audit.”

“At first I thought it was junk mail,” said Joseph Martin. “Then I opened it up and realized it had my name, my wife's name, our neighbor's name, our street address.. if and when we had voted since 2008.”

The lists several neighbors, their street address, and then claims to show whether or not they voted in past elections.

Voter participation is public record, but Martin says the mailer - is wrong.

“Not only that, the information is inaccurate, so it gives a false information about who we are, and what we do,” said Martin.

The Secretary of State looked into the matter, sending out a statement saying, “The State of Indiana does not treat lightly its role to strictly limit access to voting records and we are not aware of any improper use of the State’s resources to conduct such an ‘audit’,” said Secretary of State Connie Lawson. “Many of the Hoosiers who have contacted our office have indicated that their voting records as stated in the letter were inaccurate.  I would advise anyone who receives the letter to disregard it.”

The release also explained Indiana law restricts the availability of voter participation records. It went on to say, the state only provides this information to state political parties and legislative caucuses; however voter participation records can be accessed from county voter registration offices.

24-Hour News 8 also contacted Americans for Limited Government, who sent a statement as well, saying in part, “"Americans for Limited Government's (ALG's) mailing has one goal and one goal only, to increase participation in the electoral process. We firmly believe that people who sit on the sidelines and do not engage in selecting our leaders are abandoning not just their right to a say but are diminishing everyone's rights.”