Bucks County Officials Warn Of Unsolicited Election-Related Mailers

A recent incident has led to the Bucks County Board of Elections issuing a warning about “unsolicited, unnecessary and sometimes illegitimate election-related correspondence” that can confuse voters.

The county learned recently of mailers sent to voters by “groups and individuals not associated with the county.”

From county elections officials:

“One recent set of mailings has prompted several voters over the last few days to contact the county Board of Elections Office (BOE) with concerns.

“The letters, sent by an individual using a Chalfont Post Office Box contain language warning of voter fraud and elder abuse, and direct recipients to notarize and submit an attached, pre-filled affidavit in order to petition to strike a name from voter rolls.  

“The letters have also come enclosed with religious literature and solicit donations of stamps. 

“As of Thursday, Bucks County BOE had received four notarized affidavits and multiple complaints from voters reacting to these letters. The affidavits purport to seek action pursuant to a PA law that has not been in effect for more than two decades, rendering the petitions, at best, unnecessary and unactionable.”

Officials warned that mailers can include “official-sounding language and personal details derived from a number of publicly available sources that are often outdated.” The officials added that the “these mailings can seem threatening and have caused needless confusion and worry.”

“Maintenance of the voter rolls is a matter of state and federal law, and the Bucks County Board of Elections follows this process to the letter,” said Thomas Freitag, director of the board of elections office. “The Board of Elections will never contact voters soliciting donations or requiring you to notarize a document to remove another person from the voter rolls.” 

It was not released whether the mailings were part of a larger effort or the name of group behind them.

It was nor clear if there was a connection, but other political groups have targeted Bucks County for election registration drives, door knocking, and other efforts. Most of which are normal and common, but there have been outliers.

Over the past year, canvassers from a conservative group have knocked on doors in Bucks County checking if the registered voters were home as part of an “election integrity” effort. The group was upset over former President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss and Sen. Doug Mastriano’s 2022 loss in the governor’s race, according to three Republicans aware of the canvassing operation.

“The Bucks County Board of Elections office takes fraud very seriously. Any incidents of possible voter fraud are referred to the District Attorney’s Office,” the statement from the county said.