Iowa joins multi-state compact aimed at improving voter rolls and increasing registration

Secretary of State Paul Pate announced today that Iowa became the 25th state to join the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). Participation in ERIC will help Iowa election officials improve the accuracy of the voter rolls, register more eligible citizens, reduce costs, and improve efficiencies in the voting process.

There are approximately 300,000 Iowans who will receive a mailing from the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office, encouraging them to register to vote. The $60,000 estimated cost will be paid through a grant from the Pew Research Center.

Participation with ERIC will allow Iowa to collaborate with other states to identify voters who moved inside and outside the state, recently deceased voters, and duplicate registrations.

ERIC is a self-governing and self-supporting entity that has been in operation for five years. The 25 states that comprise the partnership have a voting-eligible population of 91.8 million people. Privacy and security of voter data is a primary concern for ERIC. Participating states utilize a cryptographic one-way hash to protect personal information, including date of birth, Social Security number, and driver’s license number.