Voter Groups Send Millions of Mailers in California

The Center for Voter Information and Voter Participation Center are mailing letters to encourage turnout.

Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Civic Engagement

Isometric editorial illustration of a stack of cream-colored envelopes resting on a concrete ledge in bright morning sunlight. — The Center for Voter Information and the Voter Participation Center have mailed over 3 million get-out-the-vote letters to California residents. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Center for Voter Information and the Voter Participation Center have mailed over 3 million get-out-the-vote letters to residents in five California congressional districts. The documents include personal voting history to apply social pressure and increase participation.

Why it matters

The campaign aims to boost turnout among demographics including young voters, people of color, and unmarried women. Data suggests that showing voters their participation is public record can raise election turnout by 2% to 2.5%.

The Voter Participation Center is conducting a $40 million campaign distributing 110 million items across 33 states. In California, five congressional districts are receiving more than 3 million letters, with some residents receiving up to 10.

The players

Center for Voter Information

This nonprofit organization works to engage and mobilize voters through non-partisan get-out-the-vote campaigns.

Voter Participation Center

This organization focuses on increasing civic engagement and voter turnout among historically underrepresented groups.

The details

The mailers list the recipient's name, address, and past voting participation to leverage public record data. While the groups do not advocate for a specific political party, the tactical mailings are designed to influence voter behavior through social pressure.

The get-out-the-vote mail campaign is occurring during the 2026 midterm election cycle.
California voters received the letters throughout October 2026.

Political Context

The mailings rely on the broad public access to voter registration records, which allows organizations to access name, address, and historical participation data. Critics often argue such tactics constitute invasive social pressure that may alienate voters rather than engaging them.

Residents in the targeted districts may receive multiple pieces of mail highlighting their personal voting record during the current election cycle. These letters are public record and are intended as non-partisan reminders of voter participation history.

The takeaway

Voters should be aware that their historical participation in elections is considered public information accessible to civic organizations. Utilizing this data for social pressure is a common strategy employed by advocacy groups to influence turnout during major election cycles.