5 More States Join ERIC to Better Manage Voter Rolls

The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) continues to expand in scope and impact, streamlining processes for election officials, improving efficiency, and lowering the cost to maintain accurate and complete voter rolls. ERIC is a multistate data-sharing partnership that uses secure, state-of-the-art technology to provide election officials with the information they need to keep voter lists complete and current. Five more states—Alaska, New Mexico, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin—joined ERIC this year, bringing the total number of members to 20 states plus the District of Columbia, with approximately 76 million eligible voters.

To date, ERIC states have identified nearly 4 million out-of-date voter records and more than 157,000 individuals who have died since they last voted. These states also have directed nearly 700,000 new voters to register, most using online systems. According to a recent investigation by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, these efforts have resulted in a steep reduction in returned mail, fewer provisional ballots, and significantly decreased costs.

David Becker directs, and Keara Castaldo is a research associate for, election initiatives at The Pew Charitable Trusts.

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