States Bailing Out of ERIC are Reinventing the “Election Integrity” Wheel, But With Less Accurate and Likely More Expensive Results

Brian Beihl

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 7, 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.

Far right activists pushing fringe conspiracy theories pressured red state legislatures and election officials to pull out of the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC.  But proposed “election integrity” alternatives fall far short of ERIC, and are likely to be more expensive.

In the past year, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Missouri, Virginia, West Virginia, Iowa, Alabama and Louisiana pulled out of the interstate voter information cooperative after activists convinced state officials that ERIC was somehow tainted by liberal funder George Soros.  Most of those states still haven’t developed an alternative, leaving voter rolls less accurate, and vulnerable to mistakes or fraud.

At least two alternative computer services,  EagleAI and Fractal, are being touted by right wing activists, but neither appear to have been adopted by state officials.  Alabama announced its Alabama Voter Integrity Database, or AVID, in September.  AVID is somewhat similar to ERIC, but relies on comparing data with only a handful of states. One election expert told NPR that the interstate agreements made by Alabama and other states don’t include critical DMV data.  Another expert from the Alliance for Securing Democracy writing in The Fulcrum also raised questions about encryption of data during storage and transit.  

Shortcomings aside, the actual cost of re-inventing the “election integrity” wheel is yet to be seen.  We have more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Brennan Center for Justice – States Cave to Conspiracy Theories and Leave Voter Data Cooperative, ERICHeritage Foundation – Maintaining Accurate Voter Registration Rolls: The Need to Rehabilitate the ERIC Program or Form an Alternative
Votebeat Texas – Texas resigns from ERIC, a national program that keeps voter rolls updated
KY3 News – Missouri Sec. of State defends withdrawal from multi-state election security system
Huffington Post – 9 Republican States Left A Bipartisan Election Integrity Group. Now, They’re Struggling To Replace It.
NPR – Republican states swore off a voting tool. Now they’re scrambling to recreate it
States of OH & West Virginia –  Memo of Understanding for Sharing Voter Data
Virginia Mercury – After ERIC withdrawal, Virginia strikes deals with 6 states to share voter data
Brennan Center for Justice – EagleAI is the latest effort by election deniers to use the upkeep of voter rolls as a vehicle to disenfranchise voters and spread disinformation.

Groups Taking Action:
Campaign Legal Center, ACLU OH, Missouri Voter Protection Coalition,

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