A campaigned aimed at getting people to vote has left Los Angeles residents stunned and complaining about "vote shaming."
People all over Los Angeles have been receiving letters listing the names of people who did or did not vote. The letters are from the so-called California Voter Awareness Project.
Sun Valley resident Mark Andrew said he was stunned when he got the letter. "People would know this is my name, this is my address, here's where you can find me," he said.
The letter questions why some choose not to vote during each election cycle, and says the group is taking a new approach by "outing" people and their neighbors with a final message to do their civic duty.
Some residents, though, feel that they shouldn't be shamed into voting. "I don't feel that it's really my neighbor's business whether I did (vote)," said Hollywood Hills resident Ian Falvey.
Others are wondering how anyone could get their voting information.
The answer to that is simple: It's a matter of public record. Anyone can look up anyone else to see if he or she voted, though which way a person voted cannot be disclosed.
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However, the LA City Clerk's office said it didn't have any record of the "California Voter Awareness Project" making any requests for voters' information. The office has enlisted county lawyers to find out if what the group did is even legal.
"I think that they're trying to shame people into voting and I'm certainly in favor of everybody voting," Andrew said, "but this isn't the way to get people to vote on these issues."
