WASHINGTON — The League of Women Voters is disputing the claim of Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen that its VOTE411.org platform shares voters’ information.
“It’s troubling that misinformation about the League’s nonpartisan elections resource is being spread among voters,” the 104-year-old organization said in a news release. “The League of Women Voters’ VOTE411.org platform is a tool that provides the public with both federal and state-specific information so voters can participate in our democracy with confidence.
“The League of Women Voters has been strictly nonpartisan for over a century, neither supporting nor opposing political parties or candidates for office at any level of government.”
The response was to Allen’s warning today about “a misleading public service announcement” airing in Alabama.
“I’m exposing this data-mining collection effort masquerading as Vote411,” Allen said in a news release. “It’s a sham. This is simply a shady way to collect the IP addresses and personal data of Alabama citizens. In the website’s fine print, the League of Women Voters disclose that ‘The League may, from time to time, share the name and mailing address of its non-member financial supporters with other non-profit organizations.’
“But they hide that in a small link they hope no one will read.”
While Allen’s claim about “sharing name and mailing address is true,” it is not in a “small link” and the league does not collect personal data.
“The purpose of VOTE411 is to meet the needs of voters and help individuals navigate the election process,” the league said. “Since VOTE411’s inception, the award-winning platform has provided election resources to millions of Americans in every election.
“VOTE411 is transparent about the data collected on our website, and voters should rest assured that using the tool does not result in the selling or sharing of their personal data.”
Allen said he wants to ensure that eligible Alabama citizens are able to register to vote securely, using trusted voter registration methods.
“Alabama citizens can rest assured that the Secretary of State’s office and local election officials are well-equipped to handle voter registration in Alabama,” he said. “There is no reason to use a data collection website like the one being managed by the League of Women Voters which will give your personal data to other entities without your knowledge and could likely put your personal data at risk.
“Skip these data collecting websites and go directly to the secure website at AlabamaVotes.gov where your privacy will be respected.”
The league said it encourages voters to use “all available tools to fully participate in our democracy, whether that comes from VOTE411 or the state and local elections websites we link to on the site.”
Eligible Alabama citizens may register to vote online at www.AlabamaVotes.gov or mail a voter registration form to their local Board of Registrars.
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