While the state is implementing a new program to maintain Iowa’s voter registration lists, the search continues for a new program in which Iowa will share information with other states to ensure accurate voter rolls.
The Iowa Secretary of State’s Office, which oversees elections policy, recently entered into a five-year, $4.8 million contract with Civix, a software company that specializes in government programs. The contract gives the state access to Civix’s voter registration, election management and election night reporting systems.
But the Secretary of State’s Office has not yet entered into a new interstate voter registration compact since withdrawing from the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, in March 2023.
States involved with ERIC were able to share voter registration information to catch duplicate voter registrations.
At the time, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate and other Iowa Republicans criticized ERIC for its efforts to register U.S. residents.
Former President Donald Trump attacked ERIC with unproven claims that the program boosts voter registration for Democrats, and the program was the target of conspiracy theories, prompting its executive director to issue a statement to address, in the director’s words, “misinformation spreading about ERIC.”
ERIC has 24 member states, according to the program’s website.
Over a year after withdrawing from ERIC, along with many other Republican-led states, Iowa has not joined another compact.
“As far as our transition from not being a part of the ERIC program, we have been making steps working with other states, working with other formats on how we can keep the most accurate, clean, up-to-date voter registration list,” Pate said recently. “So yeah, we are making efforts on that front.”
The implementation of Civix’s elections programs are set for the spring 2025, according to a spokeswoman for the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office.
Voter registration lists regularly are updated to reflect the most accurate voter information. Iowa voters who are not registered are able to do so any time, including on Election Day at the polls.
“We are in a contract now to redesign our voter registration database system,” Pate said. “That’s been in place now for some time, and that is going smoothly and on time on schedule. So we’re very comfortable with it.”
The Civix systems will replace the I-Voters system that the state has been using.
Iowa’s primary election is Tuesday and the general election is Nov. 5.
www.thegazette.com
The Iowa Secretary of State’s Office, which oversees elections policy, recently entered into a five-year, $4.8 million contract with Civix, a software company that specializes in government programs. The contract gives the state access to Civix’s voter registration, election management and election night reporting systems.
But the Secretary of State’s Office has not yet entered into a new interstate voter registration compact since withdrawing from the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, in March 2023.
States involved with ERIC were able to share voter registration information to catch duplicate voter registrations.
At the time, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate and other Iowa Republicans criticized ERIC for its efforts to register U.S. residents.
Former President Donald Trump attacked ERIC with unproven claims that the program boosts voter registration for Democrats, and the program was the target of conspiracy theories, prompting its executive director to issue a statement to address, in the director’s words, “misinformation spreading about ERIC.”
ERIC has 24 member states, according to the program’s website.
Over a year after withdrawing from ERIC, along with many other Republican-led states, Iowa has not joined another compact.
“As far as our transition from not being a part of the ERIC program, we have been making steps working with other states, working with other formats on how we can keep the most accurate, clean, up-to-date voter registration list,” Pate said recently. “So yeah, we are making efforts on that front.”
New voter registration maintenance program
The implementation of Civix’s elections programs are set for the spring 2025, according to a spokeswoman for the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office.
Voter registration lists regularly are updated to reflect the most accurate voter information. Iowa voters who are not registered are able to do so any time, including on Election Day at the polls.
“We are in a contract now to redesign our voter registration database system,” Pate said. “That’s been in place now for some time, and that is going smoothly and on time on schedule. So we’re very comfortable with it.”
The Civix systems will replace the I-Voters system that the state has been using.
Iowa’s primary election is Tuesday and the general election is Nov. 5.
New company being paid $5M to help manage Iowa voter lists and elections
Meantime, a year later Iowa has not replaced an interstate compact for comparing voter registration lists across states.
www.thegazette.com
