The integrity of our elections is important to all of us, no matter our background or our political party. We deserve to be confident that our voter rolls are up-to-date, contain accurate information about the voters in our state, and are secure from any intervention. The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) helps do just that.
Established in 2012, ERIC is a non-profit membership organization created by state election officials to help improve the accuracy of state voter rolls and register more eligible Americans to vote. ERIC analyzes the voter registration rolls of member states, as well as several other databases including DMV records, Social Security Administration records, and the Postal Service’s national change of address registry to compare voting lists. ERIC then provides member states with reports that help state officials update their voter rolls, remove ineligible voters, investigate potential illegal voting, and provide voter registration information to individuals who may be eligible to vote.
After 32 states joined ERIC, a politically-motivated campaign based on conspiracy theories has led to multiple states leaving since 2022.
Florida joined ERIC in 2019, after Governor DeSantis signed two bills to allow the Secretary of State to enter into an agreement with the organization. Unfortunately, despite ERIC being a tool recognized by local elections officials as important to the accuracy of Florida’s voter registration rolls, Florida’s Secretary of State suddenly announced in March 2023 that Florida would be leaving ERIC.
ERIC has a long history of being used in both Republican and Democratic controlled states. ERIC was created by state election officials and is controlled by state election officials. ERIC’s day-to-day operations is funded through member payments of annual dues. The states voluntarily join, and are the only ones who can vote on the direction of ERIC. Election officials across the political spectrum rely on access to this nonpartisan tool that enhances the security of our elections.
States that have joined ERIC have seen increased voter registration rates and more accurate voting lists. What’s more, there is no viable alternative to ERIC – it is the best system we have to ensure the security and accuracy of our voter registration lists. Some have tried and failed to build partisan alternatives to ERIC, resulting in thousands of eligible voters being purged from the voter rolls and millions of taxpayer dollars in lawsuits.
In leaving ERIC, Florida has lost an opportunity to maintain accurate voting records. Florida’s leaders should not be playing politics with election security. Decisions about election administration should be based on best practices, the needs of local election officials, and what works for voters, not partisan politics.