Non-Profit Sent 167K Vote-By-Mail Applications To Monmouth Co.

MONMOUTH COUNTY, NJ — Monmouth County residents have been getting vote-by-mail applications sent by an out-of-state organization and already filled out with personal information including name and address, according to the County Clerk’s Office.

“It is important that voters understand that these applications are not official election mail from Monmouth County’s election offices, and are not mandatory to be completed in order to vote in the 2021 General Election," said Monmouth County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon.

According to the official, the applications were sent by a non-profit called the Voter Participation Center, based out of Washington, D.C.

The organization sent applications to voters across New Jersey, including over 167,000 to Monmouth County residents, according to a letter sent to all County Clerks in the state.

“We have received many calls and inquires to our office and have seen many posts on social media by residents,” Hanlon said.

Organizations like this one can obtain voter data from the Statewide Voter Registration System, which is under the direction of the New Jersey Division of Elections, Hanlon said. Data such as name and address is considered to be an open public record according to New Jersey law.

The packets that have been sent out include a letter, prepaid return envelope addressed to the County Clerk’s Election Office, and pre-filled Vote by Mail application with the voter’s name and address.

They can be identified by the top right of the form and bottom left of the form including the tags “VCP_NJD” or “CVI_NJD.” The back of the form includes the words “it’s easy as 1-2-3 instructions” with the name of the voter and mailing address usually pre-filled. The letters are signed by Tom Lopach, President of the Voter Participation Center.

"Voters have a choice as to whether to complete the applications and send them in," Hanlon said.

Here are the instructions from the clerk on what to do if you receive one of these applications:

• Voters already on the list to receive a mail-in ballot for the Nov. 2 general election or all other future elections: You can disregard and discard the applications. You should have recently received a letter from the County Clerk’s Office advising of their status. You can also call the County Clerk’s Election Office at 732-431-7790 during normal business hours to confirm that they are on the list to receive mail-in ballots for the Nov. 2 general election.
• Voters not on the list to receive mail-in ballots: You can choose to either discard it or to sign the application and submit it to the Monmouth County Clerk’s Election Office in order to obtain a mail-in ballot for the Nov. 2 General Election. If the application is properly completed and the signature on the application matches the voter signature on file in the Statewide Voter Registration System, the mail-in ballot will be issued to the voter.

Any questions about this issue can be addressed to the elections office by phone to 732-431-7790 or by email to clerkofelections@co.monmouth.nj.us.