At a time when computer systems of major corporations have been under attack by hackers, Illinois is poised to join other states in a first-ever national database of voter registration information. But, despite concerns from scholars and others who monitor online security, state and national officials involved in the Electronic Registration Information Center program say every registered voter’s information will be safe. “We make a pretty good argument that we do more to protect the data than the states do themselves. We follow above normal security protocols,” said John Lindback the executive director of the Washington D.C.-based ERIC program. In one of his final acts as governor, former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation that put Illinois on track to join other states in the program. The law was just one piece of a larger overhaul of state election law that included changes to absentee voting and ballot counting.
The new electronic database is designed to put voter data in a system used throughout the state and with all other states in the program. It is supposed to make voter registration more cost efficient and could help track down residents who are qualified to vote but are not registered.
It also makes it easier to find voters who are deceased or have moved and are registered in a different county or a state that uses ERIC.
While Illinois officials are preparing to bring the state’s 7.2 million registered voters into the program, other states say they’ve not had security problems.
Full Article: Illinois voters to be placed in nationwide database.