Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced Thursday that his office has opened an investigation into Ready to Register and other third-party organizations after reports that voter registration mailers were sent to deceased Georgians and other ineligible recipients.

According to the Secretary of State’s Office, election officials have received numerous complaints about voter registration solicitations being mailed to people who have died. In one unusual case cited by the office, a deceased family dog reportedly received one of the mailers.

State officials said they are reviewing whether the mailings violate Georgia law or otherwise undermine confidence in the state’s election system.

The Secretary of State’s Office said third-party voter registration groups frequently conduct mass mail campaigns ahead of major elections but often rely on commercial databases that can contain outdated or inaccurate information, unlike Georgia’s official voter registration system.

“Groups like this highlight the unreliability of commercial data,” Raffensperger said in a statement. “Georgia maintains one of the cleanest voter rolls in the nation through continuous list maintenance and citizenship verification. These outside organizations don’t use those standards. Instead, they flood mailboxes with inaccurate solicitations that confuse voters and waste election officials’ time.”

Raffensperger also thanked voters who alerted his office to the mailings.

“I want to thank the voters who have flagged the inaccurate mailings and sent them to our office,” he said. “Whether checking their ballots for accuracy or keeping their own registration information up to date, voters are a crucial line of defense in election security.”

Georgia officials said the issue mirrors problems recently identified in North Carolina, where election officials warned residents about similar mailings from Ready to Register. According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, North Carolina officials said the organization mailed registration forms to deceased individuals, used outdated forms, listed incorrect election office addresses and included QR codes that raised privacy concerns.

Raffensperger criticized the mass mailing campaigns, saying they create confusion while increasing the workload for local election offices.

“Whether intentional or simply reckless, these mail campaigns operate like a grift — raising money and generating activity while shifting the costs onto taxpayers, election officials, and voters,” Raffensperger said. “Georgia taxpayers should not have to clean up the mess created by organizations that prioritize volume over accuracy.”

The Secretary of State’s Office is encouraging Georgians to verify their voter registration through the state’s My Voter Page and says voters who are already registered at their current address should disregard unsolicited voter registration mailers.

Mosquitoes in the Grant Park neighborhood of Atlanta have tested positive for West Nile Virus, according to Fulton County health officials.

ATLANTA – Atlanta police are searching for three masked men who drove a rental truck directly through the brick wall of a downtown clothing store early Wednesday morning. Investigators say the thieves heavily ransacked the business before making a quick escape.

Atlanta smash-and-grab details

What we know:

The burglary occurred just before 5 a.m. Wednesday at Identity-ATL, a high-end streetwear shop on the 100 block of Walker Street SW. Police say three masked men repeatedly rammed a U-Haul truck into the side of the building, smashing a massive hole in the brick wall.

Store owner Rod Thomas received an urgent call from his alarm company and rushed to his business as fast as he could. The thieves grabbed whatever clothing items they could get their hands on, drove away a white pickup truck, and left behind a pile of rubble.

Shop owners react to destruction

What they’re saying:

Thomas what he saw when he arrived at his store. He worked so hard to build. “I was just speechless, for real,” Thomas said. “I’m just distraught, you know.”

Despite the blow to his storefront, Thomas remains determined to move forward. “I rather they not do that. But I have to move forward,” Thomas said, offering a straightforward message to the thieves: “Do something better. That’s what I would say.”

Phillip Louissaint, who owns Saint’s Professional Grooming barbershop in the same building, said the neighborhood is normally a safe, pleasant place to do business. “It’s very disturbing,” Louissaint said. “Actually, it’s disturbing a little bit. We haven’t had any signs of anything like this happening here.”

Search for masked suspects

What we don’t know:

Police have not yet provided a physical description of the three suspects who remain on the loose. Authorities have also not released an official dollar amount or total value for the clothing items that were stolen during the raid.

No injuries were reported during the crash or the subsequent robbery. Investigators are currently reviewing area surveillance videos to track down the white pickup truck and identify the men responsible.