(Phoenix, AZ) Arizona’s fifteen counties have unanimously decided to have Arizona become the 22nd state to participate in the Electronic Registration Information Center. The Center, commonly referred to as ERIC, is a non-profit organization that assists states improve the accuracy of America’s voter rolls and increase access to voter registration for all eligible citizens.
ERIC was developed to address the challenges in maintaining the accuracy of voter registration records, many of which still rely on paper forms and postal mail. It is estimated that 1 in 8 records in the country needs to be updated.
“Our participation in ERIC will decrease provisional ballots as well as reduce the number of voters on the rolls who don’t live in Arizona anymore,” said Secretary Reagan. “Our counties work hard to ensure the registration database is accurate and this tool will enhance their ability to keep our data as accurate as possible.”
ERIC compares official data provided by participating states as well as U.S. Postal Service addresses and Social Security death records to identify out-of-date records because they have moved, changed their names, or died. The results data is then shared with member states allowing election officials to update their voter registration rolls.
“This agreement represents another layer of protection against manipulation of the state’s voter data,” Secretary Reagan said. “In light of the numerous cyberattacks the country experienced in 2016 we are upgrading security protocols and will remain vigilant against hackers trying to gain access to voter data.”