The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for July 25, 2023
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time)
Today’s Links below the script
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
Last week, Texas became the ninth state to officially withdraw from the multi-state voter registration cooperative called ERIC, recently the target of fringe conspiracy theories. But, Texas doesn’t yet have a replacement.
Votebeat Texas reports that the Texas Secretary of State’s office gave its 91-day notice to withdraw from the Electronic Registration Information Center, joining Iowa, Missouri, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Virginia and West Virginia.
ERIC is a nonprofit cooperative founded and run by states to keep their registration lists clean, identifying voters who have moved, died – or in very rare cases – registered in two places.
ERIC came under fire when a non-voting board member, formerly of Pew Trusts, moved to Mark Zuckerberg’s foundation, which provided grants to fund municipal election offices during the pandemic. Another misguided theory claims the original funding from Pew Trusts for ERIC, came in part from Billionaire philanthropist George Soros.
SB 1070, effective this September 1st, lays out requirements for a system to replace ERIC in Texas. Problem is, there are no alternatives as effective. Votebeat Texas reported that June 2022 data from ERIC helped Texas election officials identify 100,000 in-state duplicates, and another 100,000 possible out-of-state duplicates.
While chasing fringe conspiracy theories, it appears Texas legislators left their state with less election integrity, not more.
We have a link to articles on ERIC at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Texas Secretary of State – (2020) Statement After Joining Texas Joined ERIC
Texas Tribune/Votebeat Texas – Conspiracy theory whirlwind threatens to blow Texas out of national program that keeps voter rolls updated
Texas Tribune/Votebeat Texas – Texas set to exit multistate program that cleans voter rolls
Votebeat Texas – Texas resigns from ERIC, a national program that keeps voter rolls updated
Votebeat Texas – Letter Withdrawing Texas from ERIC
LegiScan – Text for SB 1070
Associated Press – Texas is largest state to leave bipartisan national effort to prevent voter fraud
National Conference of State Legislators – More Withdrawals From Voter Data Group ERIC Likely
Groups Taking Action:
Campaign Legal Center, Brennan Center for Justice, League of Women Voters
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