RICHMOND, Va. -- As Election Day approaches, you may see more people around ready to help you sign up to vote. The problem is, how do you know the voter registration drive is legit?
Around the city there are sign up stations on street corners with homemade signs and everyday people carrying clip boards.
Some people may wonder just how much of their personal information they should give out during these third-party voter registration drives.
Richmonder Chris Turner said protecting his personal information is a top priority, so he’s leery about giving out his Social Security number.
“It’s important for everyone to vote, but at the same time, when it comes to your personal information and your just seeing someone on the street and you’re giving them your information, that’s a scary thing to deal with,” he said.
Voter Registration Drive
Turner knows with this year's presidential campaign heating up, various groups are hitting the streets conducting 3rd party voter registration drives.
We spotted a group outside of Richmond’s City Hall and on the steps of the Broad Street DMV.
New Virginia Majority co executive director Tram Nguyen admitted the voter registration form can be off-putting.
“The application asks for a lot of information and private information including your full Social Security number,” she said. “The Constitution of Virginia mandates that you provide your full Social Security number to register to vote and so by law we have to ask for all of the information on the form.”
Nguyen said she knows potential voters are often skeptical about filling out the form from a stranger, but said it's mandated by the state and each application must be returned to the Virginia registrar within 10 days.
“Everybody that works for us is training, we go through background checks and a security protocol to make sure that the information is secure and the applicant can feel safe and secure in providing that information,” Nguyen said.
If you fill out a voter registration form through a third-party, they are required to give you an official receipt.
That receipt should include the name of the organization and their contact information for you to track them down if you do not receive your voter registration card within 30 days.
If you want to register to vote you can also register online and at the DMV.
