AUGUSTA – Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Executive Director Shane Hamlin said Oct. 20 that Maine joined the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a nonprofit consortium of 31 other member states.

Participation in ERIC improves the integrity of voter rolls and promotes voter confidence in the electoral process and will allow Maine to exchange data with other states to more efficiently identify people who have moved and registered elsewhere or deceased outside the state.

"Joining ERIC is a big step forward in more efficiently conducting our voter list maintenance," said Secretary Bellow, in a news release. “With ERIC we'll be able to contact eligible, but unregistered, voters so that they can participate in our democratic process, while also keeping currently registered voters information up-to-date so that as many Mainer citizens as possible can vote and have confidence that their vote matters.

Support for joining ERIC was bipartisan in the Maine legislature in 2021, with the successful effort spearheaded by Representative Patrick Corey, R-Windham and Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford. The policy initiative and funding were included in the bipartisan biennial budget at http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0156&item=7&snum=130 .

ERIC member states follow a number of technical protocols and policy guidelines to maximize the accuracy and inclusivity of voter lists, while maintaining the privacy and security of voters data. For more information, visit ERICs website at https://ericstates.org/who-we-are/ .

Other current ERIC member states are: Alabama; Alaska; Arizona; Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Illinois; Iowa; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maryland; Michigan; Minnesota; Missouri; Nevada; New Mexico; Ohio; Oregon; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; Texas; Utah; Vermont; Virginia; Washington; Washington, D.C.; West Virginia; and Wisconsin.