How is the Center for Voter Information getting your information?
A voting history letter received by a Michigan voter (FOX 2)
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Have you gotten mail lately that includes your voting history or the history of your neighbors? What about a piece of official-looking mail with an application for an absentee ballot?
This mail is most likely coming from the Center for Voter Information or the Voter Participation Center.
"Voting Report Cards" being sent to Michigan voters include information about whether you and some of your neighbors voted in general elections going back to 2014. They also say, "We will be reviewing these records after the election to determine whether or not you joined your neighbors in voting."
Voters in some states have also received letters that claim to outline candidate positions on certain issues.
More: What to know about absentee voting
These letters include your full name and address, though your neighbors' information, aside from their voting history, is blacked out.
All of this information is publicly available to those willing to pay, and Michigan has no restrictions on who can purchase this data. The only caveat is that it cannot be used commercially.
Through the freedom of information act, groups like the Center for Voter Information can have access to your name, residential address, mailing address if available, year of birth, registration date, voter status, voter ID, and voter history when available.
The request form allows the person requesting the data to select which elections they want information from, such as general, primary, and special elections. The cost estimate is about $23 per file.
You can unsubscribe from the mailing list if you have received a letter because you need an unsubscribe code that is at the bottom. The Center for Voter Information website says it is done sending new mailings this year, but you may still get letters through the end of 2022.
Read more election coverage here.
Jocelyn Benson 'optimistic' about election processes going into midterms
The secretary of state said the office is working closely with both law enforcement and county clerks to ensure the 2022 Midterm election runs smoothly. She said voters can expect misinformation to disseminate after polls closed and that staff at the office will be fact checking any rumors.