As much as I love cats, I think it’s probably not a good idea to send them voter-registration materials.
Hundreds of North Carolinians — and one cat — have received incorrect voter registration information, according to the N.C. State Board of Elections.The information — an “official application form” — was sent by Americans for Prosperity, a national conservative group with a state chapter based in Raleigh.
The News & Observer in Raleigh talked to Joshua Lawson, a public information officer for the state Board of Elections, who said the Koch brothers’ group has “caused a lot of confusion for people in the state.”
Well, yes, if someone sent my cat voter-registration materials, I’d be confused, too.
Of course, the problem goes much deeper than feline foul-ups. The far-right group also provided voters with contradictory information about the registration schedule, mislabeled envelopes, incorrect contact information for the state Board of Elections, and incorrect information about county-clerk notifications.
The materials go on to encourage North Carolinians to refer questions to the Secretary of State’s elections division. In North Carolina, the Secretary of State’s office doesn’t have an elections division.
When the News & Observer asked an AFP spokesperson how many voters were sent these materials — which claim to be “official” forms — he refused to say. AFP also never reached out to the state Board of Elections before conducting the mailing.
Imagine that.
It’s worth noting that it is a felony in North Carolina to intentionally mislead voters about voter registration, if it suppresses voting.
As best as I can tell, no one has accused AFP of criminal activity. It has been accused of being painfully incompetent.
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Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."