ERIC will allow Florida officials to crosscheck voter registration data against 29 other member states to potentially identify duplicates and outdated records from voters who have moved or died, according to a press release.
The center also provides information to member states about residents who are eligible but unregistered voters, which allows elections offices to send information on how to register to vote. The outreach efforts are conducted every two years ahead of the national general election, the release states.
DeSantis said in a prepared statement that membership will help reduce voter fraud in his state.
“One of my administration’s top priorities is protecting the integrity of Florida’s elections, which is why joining ERIC is the right thing to do for our state as it will ensure our voter rolls are up-to-date and it will increase voter participation in our elections,” DeSantis said.
The announcement Wednesday followed his directive for a review of elections systems security and cybersecurity across Florida.
Secretary of State Laurel Lee said in a prepared statement that by joining ERIC, DeSantis has poised Florida to be in the best position for accurate voting in the battleground state going into the 2020 election.
To date, DeSantis and the state Legislature have invested about $5.1 million for local supervisors of elections to enhance cybersecurity with money from appropriations and the redistribution of unexpended funds, the release states.
“Supervisors of Elections have long advocated for Florida to join ERIC as it is an incredible tool to help ensure our voter rolls are accurate,” said Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections President Tammy Jones.
