Secretary of State Wes Allen is warning Alabama citizens about a misleading public service announcement currently airing in Alabama.<\/p>\n
The PSA, distributed by Vote411, an operation of the League of Women Voters, instructs Alabamians to\u00a0register to vote using the Vote411 website. The website captures the website visitor\u2019s personal data including their IP address and contact information\u00a0and then, once the information has been captured, the individual is directed to the Alabama Secretary of State\u2019s website.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m exposing this data-mining collection effort masquerading as Vote411. It\u2019s a sham. This is simply a shady way to collect the IP addresses and personal data of Alabama citizens. In the website\u2019s fine print, the League of Women Voters disclose that \u2018The League may, from time to time, share the name and mailing address of its non-member financial supporters with other non-profit organizations,\u2019\u201d said Secretary Allen. \u201cBut they hide that in a small link they hope no one will read.\u201d<\/p>\n
Secretary Allen wants to ensure that eligible Alabama citizens are able to register to vote securely, using trusted voter registration methods.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlabama citizens can rest assured that the Secretary of State\u2019s office and local election officials are well-equipped to handle voter registration in Alabama. 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<\/a> where your privacy will be respected,\u201d Secretary Allen explained.<\/p>\n