Letters recently sent to voters listing their voting records and the voting records of their neighbors aren't coming from a government agency, warns a local state representative.

Pennsylvania state Rep. Doyle Heffley. (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

The representative, who called the letters an effort to "bully" voters into going to the polls, vowed to find out the source of the letters.

The letters from the Pennsylvania State Voter Program/Pennsylvania State Voter Report show each recipient's recent voting record and those of their neighbors, according to a news release from Carbon County state Rep. Dolye Heffley.

"Many residents, including my wife, recently received letters in the mail from the Pennsylvania State Voter Report listing the voting records of themselves, neighbors and friends," Heffley wrote in a news release. "Though these letters appear to be from a state agency, they are not. These letters did not come from my office or any other state agency. Similar letters have been sent to residents of Indiana, Alaska and Pennsylvania in the past."

WFMZ said the letters come from Indiana.

The envelopes included the phrase "important taxpayer information enclosed."

Their purpose isn't clear, although it appears to be an effort to "shame" potential voters into coming out to the polls in a primary that traditionally has low turnout.

Heffley said he has turned to the state Attorney General's Office to investigate the letters. He said voters during Tuesday's primary election shouldn't be "bullied" into going to the polls.

"The letters recently sent to residents of Carbon County are nothing more than bullying tactics and have no place in our democracy," Heffley, a Republican, said. "While whether someone voted in past elections is a matter of public record, I don't believe these records should be used, as is the apparent case with these letters, to shame someone into voting.

"The listed return address on envelopes in which the letters were sent is a post office box in Harrisburg and does not list the sender's name or names. It is cowardly to hide behind a post office box and an official-sounding name to intimidate voters."

Web searches don't turn up much about the group under the stated names.

State Rep. Bob Freeman, D-Northampton, said his office was able to show the group was not affiliated with the state, but didn't discover anything further.

The letter admits the shaming effort.

"Why do so many people fail to vote?" the letter asks. "We've been talking about the problem for years, but it only seems to get worse. This year, we're taking a new approach. We're sending this mailing to you, your friends, your neighbors, your colleagues at work, and your community members to publicize who does and does not vote."

A chart is provided showing, in one case, 10 Williams Township residents, and how they voted in three previous elections, although the date on the spring 2016 primary shows the wrong month -- it was in April, not March.

"We intend to mail you an updated chart," after the 2018 primary, the mystery group said. "You and your friends, your neighbors, and other people will all know who voted and who did not vote. Do your civic duty -- vote!"

There is some thought this is an effort to increase turnout of Democrats, since the quest to overturn control of Congress will require higher turnout than normal in the November general election. But it could be an effort to do the same for Republicans, who, being the party in power, are traditionally less likely to go to the polls.

Freeman said the letters he's been shown mostly target Democrats.

But it's just not a smart idea, he said.

He called the effort "counterproductive" and said it's likely turning off voters because it feels like an invasion of privacy.

One-on-one contact is a far better way to inspire voters to go to the polls, the long-time representative from Easton said just after voting Tuesday morning on College Hill.

Because voting records are public -- whether someone voted, not how they voted -- the "unfortunate" effort likely is legal, Freeman said.

Heffley wants to put that to the test.

"That is why I contacted the state attorney general's office to look into this matter to see if any laws were broken," he said.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.