ATLANTA — Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced an investigation into Ready to Register and other third-party organizations that mailed voter registration solicitations to deceased and otherwise ineligible individuals across the state.
Raffensperger said his office has received numerous reports of voter registration mailers being sent to deceased Georgians, including one instance in which a deceased family dog received a solicitation.
The Secretary of State’s Office said it is reviewing whether the mailings violate Georgia law or otherwise undermine confidence in the state’s election system.
“Groups like this highlight the unreliability of commercial data,” Raffensperger said. “Georgia maintains one of the cleanest voter rolls in the nation through continuous list maintenance and citizenship verification. These outside organizations don’t use those standards. Instead, they flood mailboxes with inaccurate solicitations that confuse voters and waste election officials’ time.”
“I want to thank the voters who have flagged the inaccurate mailings and sent them to our office,” Raffensperger added. “Whether checking their ballots for accuracy or keeping their own registration information up to date, voters are a crucial line of defense in election security.”
According to the Secretary of State’s Office, third-party voter registration groups routinely conduct mass mailings before major elections using commercial databases that can contain outdated or inaccurate information.
State officials said the mailings have confused voters and created unnecessary work for county election offices.
“Whether intentional or simply reckless, these mail campaigns operate like a grift, raising money and generating activity while shifting the costs onto taxpayers, election officials, and voters,” Raffensperger said. “Georgia taxpayers should not have to clean up the mess created by organizations that prioritize volume over accuracy.”
The Secretary of State’s Office said Georgia voters can verify their registration status through the state’s My Voter Page.
Officials add voters are encouraged to disregard unsolicited voter registration mail if they are already registered at their current address.
