ST. LOUIS — Wednesday is the last day to register to vote in the general election.
Some voters—who think they're registered—are getting a letter saying they're not.
Frank, a 5 On Your Side viewer from unincorporated St. Louis County, shared the letter he received in the mail, signed by the president of the Voter Participation Center, which said, "According to our review of publicly available records, someone at this address might not be registered to vote."
Frank asked the VERIFY team if the letter is legitimate or a scam.
We dug into the facts to find the truth.
The question:
Is a letter some St. Louis County residents received stating they may not be registered to vote legitimate?
Our sources:
- The St. Louis County Board of Elections
- The IRS
The answer:
Yes, the letters are legitimate. However, receiving one doesn't necessarily mean you're not registered to vote.
What we found:
The letter comes with a voter registration application and a prepaid return envelope—addressed to the St. Louis County Board of Elections.
We checked and yes, it's the correct address.
A spokesperson for the Board of Elections office told the VERIFY team, "While we are not responsible for these mailings, the voter registration cards are legitimate and can be returned to the St. Louis County Election Board to register to vote."
So, what is the Voter Participation Center?
According to IRS documents the Verify team reviewed-- it was founded in 2003 and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
In its most recent filing with the IRS, the Voter Participation Center stated its mission is "to increase civic engagement among the under-represented members of the new American majority (unmarried women, people of color, young people…)"
We can VERIFY: These mailing are not a scam. They provide a legitimate way to register to vote in St. Louis County. However, receiving this letter doesn't mean you're not registered.
If you'd like to check your registration status, click here to view to the Missouri database.
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