ATLANTA — For a lengthy period, Republicans aligned with former President Donald Trump’s unfounded assertions regarding widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election have been advocating for states to withdraw from a cooperative group that assists officials in maintaining the accuracy of voter registration rolls. So far, nine states have exited, although no states have left since October 2023.
Recently, a new legislative proposal introduced by House Republicans in a Georgia committee has the potential to make Georgia the tenth state to depart from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). This organization currently comprises 24 states, alongside Washington, D.C., but its funding and intentions have come under scrutiny from Republican officials. Data provided by this group is essential for identifying individuals who should be removed from voter rolls due to reasons such as death, relocation to another state, or registration at different locations.
Rep. Martin Momtahan, the Dallas Republican who brought forth the bill, expressed that the exit of nearby states has rendered the data and the collaboration ineffective. However, Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, has praised ERIC as a valuable tool for maintaining accurate voter data, asserting that it offers information that is more comprehensive than what individual states can independently collect.
Blake Evans, an aide to Raffensperger and the chair of ERIC’s executive committee, stated during a hearing that ERIC is the most secure and effective means available for managing mass voter list maintenance. Evans highlighted that his office had utilized data from the organization to support over 71.78% of more than 2.6 million mailers sent for voter list maintenance, resulting in the referral of 74 potential cases involving individuals voting in multiple states.
Momtahan noted that should the bill pass, Georgia could still arrange data-sharing agreements with other states. However, this alternative route could prove complicated and costly. Marisa Pyle from the voting rights organization All Voting is Local articulated concerns during the hearing, arguing that states that have opted out of ERIC have struggled to keep their voter rolls updated efficiently. She commented that Georgia would have to engage in separate agreements rather than having access to a comprehensive 24-state database, which would not guarantee the establishment of those agreements.
While some Republicans have expressed worries about privacy, supporters of ERIC argue that there has been no evidence of security breaches impacting the system. ERIC was initially established in 2012 by seven states, four of which were under Republican governance. States like Florida, Louisiana, and Alabama have already withdrawn from the group, following prior encouragement from Trump, who falsely claimed that ERIC favors Democratic candidates. Additionally, critics have pointed out the association between ERIC and George Soros, a billionaire philanthropist known for his donation efforts to Democratic causes.
The executive director of ERIC clarified that the original funding for the group came from the nonpartisan Pew Charitable Trust, which was distinct from financial contributions from a Soros-linked entity, as reported in 2023. Currently, ERIC is financed by membership dues from participating states. If the proposed legislation successfully passes Georgia’s House, it is anticipated to proceed through the Senate without significant hurdles. Evans remarked that there is no other organization available that can match the quality of data ERIC provides at this time.
