Martin's Additions election committee to mail verification letters to 62 residents ahead of March deadline

Marty, chair of the Martin's Additions Election Committee, said the panel will send written verification notices this week to 62 residents who appear to have moved and may be removed from the village voter roll. The committee set a March 28 response deadline to finalize a verified voter roll to send to the contractor by the statutory April 7 deadline.

The committee framed the mailing as a required procedural step before removing a name from the voter roll. "Before we remove somebody from the voter roll, the regulations require practice, that they get a letter in writing," Marty said, adding the letters will be sent by postal mail and by email where addresses exist.

Why it matters: the committee must reconcile three data sources — last year’s audited 2024 voter roll, the village resident list, and county registration files — to ensure eligible residents are not removed in error. Marty told the group that the 2024 roll was "very accurate" after an outside audit, but that turnover means the lists now diverge: about 62 people appear on the village resident list who were not on the 2024 voter roll, and roughly 90 names on last year's roll are not on the current village list.

The committee discussed delivery reliability and follow-up options, noting some neighborhood mailboxes have been compromised. Larry raised concerns that addressed mail for prior residents can be discarded by new occupants and suggested clearer return instructions and phone or email contact options. Marty said the envelope will be marked "important voter verification" and the committee will also email and, where possible, call recipients.

Members debated whether the same form should invite new residents and 18-year-olds to register; Elizabeth proposed combining messaging so one communication covers both verification and new-voter sign-up. The chair said the March mailing will go only to the 62 people likely to be removed, with a separate outreach to all households planned for new-voter recruitment.

The committee voted on a motion to use only the affirmation (top) half of the standard approved form — removing the bottom "for election committee use" section that pertains to new-voter intake — for the removal-letter mailing. Elizabeth moved the measure; Marty seconded it. The motion passed with two members voting in favor and one opposed.

If recipients do not reply by March 28, Marty said, "we as a committee vote to remove that person from the qualified VMA voter list." The committee also agreed it will accept documented corrections and can add voters up through May 6 if someone is mistakenly excluded.

Next steps: by Wednesday the committee will produce the list of 62 names for mailing. The committee will also prepare two stand-alone outreach notices and newsletter items to encourage candidates and new voters ahead of the March 22 filing deadline and the May 6 election.