Official-looking forms mimic Census Questionnaire
The Republican Party is mailing campaign literature that looks like US census forms to voters across the country including here in Charlotte County.
The mailings are titled “2020 Congressional District Census” and instruct the recipients to “answer all questions to the best of your ability.” The mailing asks respondents to fill out a political profile and solicits volunteers for President Trump’s reelection campaign. The questions are loaded to support a Republican agenda. Some examples: “Do you approve or disapprove of the Democrats never-ending witch hunt to try to destroy President Trump?” and “Do you think the Democrat (sic) Party as a whole is promoting a Big Government Socialist agenda for America?”
The mailer repeatedly claims to be a “Census Document.” It is printed on heavy card stock, much like genuine census forms. It includes a solicitation for campaign contributions of up to $1,000.
The mailing arrives in an oversized envelope with “DO NOT DESTROY. OFFICIAL DOCUMENT” printed next to the mailing address.
“Voters need to remember that the official Census is set for delivery to the public on April 1,” said Democratic Executive Committee Chairwoman, Teresa Jenkins. “The official U.S. Census does not cost money to complete or ask for donations.”
The deceptive mailings arrived at Charlotte County homes early this week. But the Republican strategy has already drawn criticism across the country.
A report from a Philadelphia NBC station called the mailings “Extraordinarily Misleading.” The New York Daily News quoted Susan Lerner of Common Cause as saying, “This is a perversion of the normal functioning of government.” And in Sacramento, CA, station KCRA cautioned, “Some people may mistake it for the 2020 U.S. Census.”
This is not the first time Republicans have tried to confuse or sway voters. Similar reprehensible tactics occurred in 2010. “Sadly, the Republican Party believes the only way to win the 2020 election is to lie, deceive, and mislead voters,” said Jenkins.
