Georgia and Utah are considering leaving a voter roll maintenance group called ERIC. This action is driven by concerns over ERIC's leftist ties and its practices regarding voter registration.
1. Legislation in Georgia: A Republican-led committee in Georgia has passed a bill to stop participation in multistate voter list maintenance organizations like ERIC. This bill (HB 215) aims to prohibit the state from being involved with any group that encourages contacting unregistered individuals to register to vote or shares voter data beyond removing ineligible voters.
2. Prohibition and Termination: If signed into law, Georgia would have to terminate existing contracts with ERIC within 90 days, effectively ending its agreement with this organization.
3. Background on ERIC: ERIC was founded by Democrat David Becker and was marketed to states as a way to maintain accurate voter rolls. Critics argue it actually inflates rolls by pushing states to register more voters, likely leaning Democratic, by requiring them to contact eligible but unregistered people.
4. GOP States Moving Away: Several Republican-led states have already withdrawn from ERIC due to its perceived partisan biases. Georgia’s Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, has previously defended ERIC, arguing it helps prevent fraud by checking for voters registered in multiple states.
5. Utah’s Proposed Changes: Similarly, in Utah, the GOP-controlled House has also proposed a bill (HB 332) that would require the lieutenant governor to withdraw from ERIC. This proposal is on its way to the Utah Senate for further consideration.
6. Defense from Officials: Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson of Utah has also supported ERIC, referring to critics as “election deniers” and stating that their concerns are unfounded.
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