Maryland AG orders group to stop sending threatening mail to voters

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown has issued a cease and desist letter to the Center for Voter Information/Voter Participation Center, accusing the organization of attempting to intimidate voters through mailings. 

The letter was sent in response to numerous complaints from Maryland residents who received mail suggesting that if they chose not to vote in the upcoming election, their voting history would be shared with their neighbors.

The letters, labeled "Voting Report Cards," reportedly detail whether the recipients voted in each of the last four elections and compare this data to anonymized voting records of two nearby neighbors. 

The letters include statements such as, "We’re sending this mailing to you and to your neighbors to share who does and does not vote in an effort to promote election participation," and conclude by saying, "We will be reviewing these records after the election to determine whether or not you joined our neighbors in voting."

Attorney General Brown condemned the mailings as "unnerving and unacceptable," adding, "Voting is among the most important rights that Marylanders have. Any action that intimidates prospective voters, especially on the eve of such a consequential election, will not be tolerated."

The letters, Brown’s office says, could be construed as threats under Maryland law, which prohibits any attempt to influence a voter’s decision through intimidation or menace. Maryland law allows access to voting records but prohibits using that information to intimidate voters or force participation.

Brown's office reported that the CVI/VPC assured the Office of the Attorney General that it has no plans to disclose individual voting histories following the election and will refrain from sending further mailings to Maryland residents.

In his letter, Brown is demanding that CVI agree to a court-enforceable commitment to halt what he described as "intimidating and unacceptable" mailings.