Viewers Voice

How much is your personal info worth to a politician?

Viewers sounding off on having their info sold to political campaigns

By Colleen Hogan

CREATED Oct. 8, 2012

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  • If you're registered to vote, politicians might be buying your personal information to help them win in the upcoming election. And that has many of you angry, even surprised. Video by fox4now.com

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If you're registered to vote, politicians might be buying your personal information to help them win in the upcoming election. And that has many of you angry, even surprised.
 
Four In Your Corner's Colleen Hogan explains and has your take.
 
$50. That's what it costs for a politician to buy your personal info, so they can send you campaign stuff.
 
Cecil Higgins found that out, after he filled out an absentee ballot request. He had to list his email address, and soon after, he was contacted.
 
But not from the elections office.
 
Turns out it was a campaign email from Lee County Sheriff candidate Lee Bushong.
 
Supervisor of Elections Sharron Harrington says by law anyone can request your voter registration, including phone numbers and email addresses. They're not exempt because they're part of public record.
 
She says pretty much every candidate has requested your info and that's not sitting well with viewers.
 
Tammy Bruno-Adair writing in on our Fox 4 Rising Facebook page: "I registered to vote and now I get non stop campaign mail."
 
Brenda Kinzie Spear also sounding off on our Rising Facebook page: "I wondered how they found me when I moved now I know and I so so angry."
 
We're also hearing from you on our Viewer's Voice line.
 
Margaret from Lehigh Acres calling in: "If I got a call from anybody representing a candidate after they obtained ym iformation that way, I wouldnt vote for that person."
 
Colleen Hogan, reporter