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“Voter Report Card” mailings described as “creepy” and “insulting” defended as “effective” tool
Julia Ramsey is used to a deluge of election-related mail. Campaign mailings have clogged her Pennsylvania mailbox day after day for months, but one she received this week stood out from the rest.
It made Ramsey feel like she was being “vote shamed.”
The mailing was among millions sent this week by a pair of tax exempt organizations, letters purporting to be “Voting Report Cards.” They show whether each recipient voted in recent elections, as well as a table of what appears to be redacted neighbors’ names, addresses and voting histories.
“Remember, who you vote for is private, but whether or not you voted is public record,” read the letters, sent by the Center for Voter Information and Voter Participation Center. “We’re sending this mailing to you and your neighbors to share who does and does not vote in an effort to promote election participation.”
On social media, and in interviews with CBS News, recipients have complained the letters are “creepy” and the tone “threatening.”
But the organizations’ president, Tom Lopach, said they’re a useful way to drive voter turnout, and have led to millions of voter registrations in previous years.
“Through the testing we’ve done with randomized control trials, what we see is that the tool that most effectively motivates people is having an understanding of what their neighbors are doing and feeling like it is a societal norm to do what other people are doing,” Lopach said.
He said the two organizations have sent some 113 million mailings this year. The Voter Participation Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, focuses on people who “underrepresented in our electorate,” Lopach said, “such as people of color, young people, and unmarried women.” The Center for Voter Information, a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, “focuses on folks who are not in those three populations, but who share the values of wanting a representative and inclusive electorate,” he said.
Before leading the Center for Voter Information, Lopach worked for Democratic senators and governors for two decades. Republicans have frequently pointed to Lopach’s history as evidence for their claim his organizations are aligned with Democrats. Lopach said the Voter Participation Center is required to be nonpartisan, as 501(c)(4) tax exempt organization.
“We walk hand in hand with our lawyers on everything we do to ensure we are complying with the law,” Lopach said.
The “Voter Report Card” mailings this week caught the eye of the office that oversees elections in New Mexico.
“If you got a ‘Voter Report Card’ in your mailbox recently, here’s what to know,” the office of the New Mexico Secretary of State wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday. “These mailers come from the Voter Participation Center and/or the Center for Voter Information and are not affiliated with NM’s county clerks or the Secretary of State.”
“No one, not even election workers, can tell your ballot choices — but your voting record is public information,” the office wrote. “If you want to be removed from future mailings of this kind, follow the directions on the bottom of the mailer.”
Ramsey said she tried calling the phone number at the bottom of the mailer.
“I called because I wanted to complain, and it just went right to voicemail,” said Ramsey.
“I don’t like that it’s shaming people,” said Ramsey, who previously worked for Democratic causes, but plans to vote for a third party candidate this year. “It’s just sort of that tactic of like, ‘We can look it up and throw it in your face.'”
New Jersey resident Erika Kiera described the “Voter Report Card” she received as “threatening” and like “a comparison as to who is “better than who” with regard to voting attendance.”
“They state underneath the addresses that they will be reviewing records after this election to determine whether or not you voted, which sounds like they are watching me,” Kiera said. “And I question, what are they going to do if I don’t vote? Are they going to write me and try to threaten or shame me? Are they going to tell my neighbors?”
Lopach said he’s heard from people who are “uncomfortable” with the mailings, but argued, “what I think matters at the end of the day is having a truly representative electorate.”
“If a person finds the language in this letter objectionable, I think the best thing that they can do is recycle the letter and turn out and vote,” Lopach said.
Kiera contrasts that approach with another voter outreach effort she encountered, and prefers.
“I also got a sweet postcard from an individual encouraging voting and it was thoughtful, kind and encouraging,” Kiera said of the handwritten note, which she showed to CBS News. “That gave me a very different feel.”
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How to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears NFL game today: Livestream options, more
The Minnesota Vikings will take on the Chicago Bears today. The Vikings are currently 8-2, an impressive run so far this season, and will be looking to add a fourth win to their current streak after last Sunday’s 23-13 win against the Tennessee Titans. The Bears, on the other hand, are entering this game on the heels of a four-game losing streak after a tough 20-19 loss against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday.
Here’s how and when you can watch the Vikings vs. Bears game today, whether or not you have cable.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears
The Vikings vs. Bears game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears game without cable
You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.
Fubo offers you an easy, user-friendly way to watch NFL games on CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network, plus NCAA football channels. The Pro tier includes 200+ channels and unlimited DVR, while the Elite with Sports Plus tier adds NFL RedZone and 4K resolution. New subscribers get a seven-day free trial and all plans allow streaming on up to 10 screens simultaneously.
You can watch today’s game with a subscription to Sling’s Orange + Blue tier, which includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox. The plan offers 46 channels with local NFL games, nationally broadcast games and 50 hours of DVR storage. For complete NFL coverage, add Paramount+ to get CBS games, or upgrade with the Sports Extra add-on for additional sports channels like Golf Channel, NBA TV and NFL RedZone.
Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.
Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.