States Clash Over Voter Rolls, Mail Rules Ahead of Midterms

Voters face uncertainty over how states will maintain accurate rolls and count mail ballots in November, as officials from both parties trade accusations that the other side is eroding confidence in the process. The stakes center on whether administrative changes will expand access, tighten security, or simply fuel distrust.

ERIC, the Electronic Registration Information Center, allows participating states to share voter and motor vehicle data to identify moves, duplicates, deaths, and potential multiple voting. It began with seven states in 2012 and grew to 31 states plus Washington, D.C. Member states must use its reports to clean lists and refer credible fraud cases to law enforcement. Louisiana left in 2022, followed by Alabama, Florida, Missouri, West Virginia, Iowa, Ohio, Virginia, and Texas. Several remaining conservative states include Alaska, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Utah. Former Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said withdrawals occurred for political reasons and lacked evidence of ERIC vulnerabilities. David Becker, a former ERIC board member, stated departing states admitted the concerns were unfounded yet highlighted fraud cases that ERIC itself had flagged.

Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen cited privacy risks when sharing data on citizens, including minors, with an out-of-state group. Post-withdrawal data from ERIC showed sharp drops in flagged interstate moves, intrastate moves, duplicates, and deceased voters. Critics of the exits argue the reductions weaken states' ability to detect irregularities. Supporters of withdrawal maintain that individual state systems and other tools suffice without interstate data sharing.

In North Carolina, the State Board of Elections issued new mail-ballot processing guidance hours before officials began mailing ballots. The rules narrowed the errors voters could correct while still having their ballots counted. The governor publicly objected to the timing and substance of the change. No data on the number of ballots potentially affected has been released by the board.

Federal efforts include training for officials on countering interference and court cases in which the Department of Justice sought voter rolls from 30 states, prevailing in none of the 23 decided cases so far. Officials in some states have raised concerns about possible federal actions near polling places. Both parties continue to accuse the other of actions that undermine public trust without presenting evidence of widespread fraud or suppression in recent cycles.