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VOTE411 is a website run by the League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan voting rights nonprofit, that provides a portal for people in all 50 states to register to vote, check their registration, and look at what will be on their ballot.
“I’m exposing this data-mining collection effort masquerading as Vote411,” Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen said in a Monday press release. “It’s a sham. This is simply a shady way to collect the IP addresses and personal data of Alabama citizens.”
As evidence for his claim that VOTE411 is a sham used to collect Alabamians’ data, Allen pointed to a clause in the website’s terms of use which says the League of Women Voters may “share the name and mailing address of its non-member financial supporters with other non-profit organizations.”
However, the terms of use Allen quotes from clarify that “the League will not rent, sell or trade your email address or phone number with any third party.” Allen did not quote this section of the terms of use.
In a public statement also released on Monday, the League of Women Voters appeared to contest Allen’s claims without specifically mentioning Allen by name. Instead, the organization generally criticized “misinformation about the League’s nonpartisan elections resource.”
“VOTE411 is transparent about the data collected on our website, and voters should rest assured that using the tool does not result in the selling or sharing of their personal data,” the League said.
In his official statement, Allen told Alabamians to “skip these data collecting websites and go directly to the secure website at AlabamaVotes.gov where your privacy will be respected.”
VOTE411 and the League of Women Voters hardly seem opposed to the use of official state websites when registering to vote though.
“As a 104-year-old voting rights organization, the League of Women Voters understands the importance of all elections, from local municipalities to those for federal office,” their statement reads. “We urge everyone to use all available tools to fully participate in our democracy, whether that comes from VOTE411 or the state and local elections websites we link to on the site.”
The VOTE411 website actually prominently tells Alabamians filling out its registration form that “you may be eligible to finish your voter registration using the Alabama online voter registration system”—another fact Allen did not mention.
The website is also described by the League as a “one-stop-shop” for information about how to vote legally.
With laws about registering to vote and other information about the voting process varying significantly state by state, it can be useful to have one website to direct people to, regardless of their home state. This is how many people on social media appear to use the site.
The federal government does already run a similar website, Vote.gov, but VOTE411 also hosts voting guides, candidate debates, and information about referendums and candidates that Vote.gov does not.
Allen’s criticism of VOTE411 is the latest in a series of statements he has made questioning efforts to make it easier to register to vote and easier to vote. Earlier this year, he signed a statement at the RNC criticizing mail-in voting, early voting, and an executive order focused at expanding voting access.
He has also repeatedly claimed that the Biden-Harris administration is seeking to steal the election in November by letting undocumented immigrants vote, with minimal to no evidence supporting his claims. Allen will likely continue making similar claims as the 2024 election approaches.
