A total of 8 States have left ERIC in the last 6 months. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, his Attorney General Jason Miyares, and Elections Commissioner Susan Beals all felt the ERIC voter registration non-profit was beyond repair. Commissioner Beals penned a letter yesterday notifying ERIC that Virginia will no longer participate in the voter data-sharing program.
Virginia is leaving for several reasons. From the letter:
Costly mandated GOTV activates are unrelated to list maintenance.
Sharing data with 3rd party CEIR for “research purposes” in 2020.
ERIC increasingly engages in efforts that are not list maintenance.
Board rejected reforms unanimously suggested by subcommittee.
Elevates the voice of a biased non-voting Board member (Becker).
Significant dues increase for Virginia because seven States left.
Concerns about stewardship, maintenance, privacy, and confidentiality of voter data.
Susan Beals was appointed as the Election Commissioner by Youngkin in March of 2022. Yesterdays ERIC letter also explains Virginia will be able to “replicate favorable ERIC functionally internally. We will pursue other information arrangements with our neighboring States and look to other opportunities to partner with States in an apolitical fashion”. Sounds like partnering is afoot to actually clean some voter rolls. Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Ohio, and West Virginia recently left ERIC too.
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