Some Tulsa Voters Say Campaign Mailers Put Them At Risk Of Identity Theft

<p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px;">Several Tulsa voters are appalled, after receiving mail from a mayoral candidate, which included voters' personal information.</p>

Monday, May 13th 2013, 10:29 pm

By: News On 6


Several Tulsa voters say they are appalled, after receiving mail from a mayoral candidate, which included their personal information.

Kathy Taylor's campaign sent out more than 10,000 of the flyers ahead of the June 11, 2013 election.

On the back of each mailer is an application for absentee voting. Voters are supposed to verify the information that's already filled out and return it, but some are too mad to even do that.

"Everyone in my neighborhood is concerned," said Judy Gentry.

She said that piece of mail cost Kathy Taylor a vote.

"They are one step away from identity theft," Gentry said.

5/8/2013 Related Story: Tulsa Mayoral Candidates Meet For First Debate

The mailers went out over the weekend. They have the voter's name, address and date of birth already filled out on the back for absentee voting. Gentry said, with a little effort, identity thieves have done major damage with less information.

"It's like a robo-call phone call and they keep it rolling. How long will it take them to hit the last four digits of my Social Security number?" Gentry said.

Tulsa resident Rodney Pendergrass said the information may be public record, but Taylor shouldn't have served it up on a platter for anyone to see.

"Companies out there will sell you a monthly service to protect your identity, but yet you have a political candidate that is giving them three steps to stealing it," Pendergrass said.

The Tulsa County Election Board said it has that information on file and the mailers are legal, but the Taylor Campaign used a third party mailing vendor, who got the voter information from the state election board.

"Obviously, our intent is not to publish anything that is not already public information," said Taylor campaign spokesperson Anna America.

Taylor's campaign says they're simply trying to make it as easy as possible for voters to cast a ballot, since some may be out of town during the election.

That's why the blanks were filled in.

"We don't want any confusion, any voter fraud or anything, so this is a way to make sure it is very accurate," America said.

The county election board says the republican party sent one of these mailers out in the past, but the voter information was not filled out.

The Tulsa County Election Board says, if you aren't comfortable sending your information on a postcard, you can print off a form online and mail it inside an envelope or drop it off in person.

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