Republican-led efforts to withdraw from ERIC, a controversial voter roll maintenance program, are gaining traction in Georgia and Utah as lawmakers push legislation to end state participation.
In Georgia, HB 215 advanced out of a House elections subcommittee in a party-line vote. The bill would prohibit the state from participating in any multistate voter list maintenance organization that mandates outreach to unregistered individuals or shares voter data beyond the removal of ineligible voters. If enacted, the law would force Georgia to exit ERIC within 90 days.
GOP-led Georgia, Utah legislatures push back on election officials to leave voter data group | Just The News
They should leave. ERIC is a lefty organization, not interested in clean elections. https://t.co/Uj4z9dD9rl
— persistantNagatha 🇺🇸🍊 (@kmcccomcastnet) February 23, 2025
Meanwhile, Utah’s House passed HB 332, a bill requiring the state to withdraw from ERIC by July 6. The legislation outlines voter registration maintenance policies and requires the state to establish a new data-sharing agreement or alternative system. The measure now moves to the Utah Senate for further debate.
👇In my opinion, ERIC is NOT doing a good job of keeping the Voter Rolls clean.
States should get out while they can!
GOP-led Georgia, Utah legislatures push back on election officials to leave voter data grouphttps://t.co/Oxl8oBW5ab
— Maryland Election Integrity Group (@EFFE4USA) February 22, 2025
Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, who oversees the state’s elections, has defended ERIC and dismissed opposition as “conspiracy theories.” She previously claimed that concerns over the program’s ties to left-wing political networks were baseless.
ERIC was founded by Democrat activist David Becker and has drawn criticism for allegedly inflating voter rolls. The group’s requirements include contacting unregistered residents to encourage voter registration, a practice that Republican lawmakers argue benefits Democrats. Reports have also linked ERIC to the Center for Election Innovation and Research, which played a key role in distributing private election grants during the 2020 cycle.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has continued to support ERIC, arguing that it helps prevent duplicate registrations. However, independent analyses have raised questions about the program’s effectiveness, with some critics suggesting that Georgia’s voter rolls remain inaccurate despite the state’s participation.
