Maybe someone can clear this up for me. Republicans are up in arms about 'voter fraud', right? So, the first thing a Republican does..is withdraw his state from one of the most effective ways to keep track of voter's registration rolls nation-wide? It seems almost as though he wants that wiggle-room--and does NOT want an accurate account of all voters registered.
Alabama’s new secretary of state has announced the state’s withdrawal from a 32-state voter-registration partnership, a data-sharing effort that was designed to maintain accurate voter rolls but has sometimes become the target of right-wing ire and conspiracy theories.
A day after being sworn in on Jan. 17, Secretary of State Wes Allen sent a letter to the Electronic Registration Information Center, a nonprofit linking 32 states and the District of Columbia, saying the state will no longer participate in the sharing of voter registration data.
“I made a promise to the people of Alabama that ending our state’s relationship with the ERIC organization would be my first official act as Secretary of State,” Allen said in a statement. The letter said that Alabama would immediately cease transmitting data.
The database was created as a tool to maintain accurate voter rolls and combat fraud by allowing states to know when someone moves, dies or registers elsewhere, but has sometimes been targeted by critics.
In November, former Secretary of State John Merrill, a fellow Republican, had criticized Allen’s intent to withdraw. He said then that ERIC provides information that Alabama couldn’t otherwise access — such as other states’ voter registration and motorist driver’s license records — and has been a crucial tool for maintaining voting rolls.
“I trust he has evaluated this situation and is making the decision based on what he believes to be in the best interest of the state of Alabama,” Merrill said on Jan. 18 after Allen’s withdrawal letter.
However, another Republican campaigned on joining the partnership.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, also a Republican, proudly noted in stump speeches that the state had joined ERIC. Raffensperger said in 2019 that it would be a tremendous step forward for the integrity of Georgia’s voter rolls.
According to the organization, the states that currently participate in ERIC are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The District of Columbia is also a member.
Alabama’s new secretary of state has announced the state’s withdrawal from a 32-state voter-registration partnership, a data-sharing effort that was designed to maintain accurate voter rolls but has sometimes become the target of right-wing ire and conspiracy theories.
A day after being sworn in on Jan. 17, Secretary of State Wes Allen sent a letter to the Electronic Registration Information Center, a nonprofit linking 32 states and the District of Columbia, saying the state will no longer participate in the sharing of voter registration data.
“I made a promise to the people of Alabama that ending our state’s relationship with the ERIC organization would be my first official act as Secretary of State,” Allen said in a statement. The letter said that Alabama would immediately cease transmitting data.
The database was created as a tool to maintain accurate voter rolls and combat fraud by allowing states to know when someone moves, dies or registers elsewhere, but has sometimes been targeted by critics.
In November, former Secretary of State John Merrill, a fellow Republican, had criticized Allen’s intent to withdraw. He said then that ERIC provides information that Alabama couldn’t otherwise access — such as other states’ voter registration and motorist driver’s license records — and has been a crucial tool for maintaining voting rolls.
“I trust he has evaluated this situation and is making the decision based on what he believes to be in the best interest of the state of Alabama,” Merrill said on Jan. 18 after Allen’s withdrawal letter.
However, another Republican campaigned on joining the partnership.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, also a Republican, proudly noted in stump speeches that the state had joined ERIC. Raffensperger said in 2019 that it would be a tremendous step forward for the integrity of Georgia’s voter rolls.
According to the organization, the states that currently participate in ERIC are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The District of Columbia is also a member.
