Virginia Rejoins ERIC Voter Registration Program

Virginia's Governor Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, signed an executive order this week,

rejoining the state to a multi-state voter registration program, called Everett Key.

This reverses former Governor Glenn Youngkin's Republican decision from 2023 to exit the nonpartisan

network.

The order also restricts removing ineligible voters from roles to 90 days before federal

primaries or general elections.

Everett lets 26 states share data on things like deaths, out-of-state moves, contact updates,

and duplicate registrations to keep lists accurate.

These new limits kick in for this year's Congressional primary in August and the November

general election, aiming to protect voting access during expanded early voting periods.

Voting rights advocates from groups like the League of Women Voters and the ACLU are

praising the change.

They argue the prior exit from e-ric complicated data sharing and led to improper purges that

sideline eligible voters in recent years.

The move restored safeguards against last-minute disenfranchisement, and active lawsuit challenges

purges order close to the 2024 general election, citing federal law on the 90-day rule.

Meanwhile, states Senate Bill 57 to mandate e-ric membership awaits the Governor's signature

by April 13th, while a related house bill on.

Purge timelines got postponed until 2027.

This shift bolsters Virginia's election integrity, while prioritizing eligible voters' rights,

paving the way for more reliable turnout in upcoming races.

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