Requiring the secretary of state to enter into a membership agreement with the Electronic Registration Information Center.
Summary
SB 219 requires the New Hampshire secretary of state to enter into and maintain a membership agreement with the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a multistate voter-registration data-sharing organization. The bill directs the secretary of state to share voter information from the statewide centralized voter registration database, along with relevant data from the DMV, other state agencies, and political subdivisions, for the purpose of identifying duplicate voter records across states and improving the accuracy of voter registration data.
The bill also requires the secretary of state to receive ERIC reports, refer credible cases of duplicative voting records or suspected illegal voting to the attorney general, and use ERIC data to identify eligible or potentially eligible citizens who are not registered so they can be contacted with registration information. The agreement must be in place by January 31, 2026, and the bill specifies that shared information must be protected by security protocols and confidentiality safeguards. Funding is to come from federal election-related funds, including Help America Vote Act (HAVA) grants.
Impact
If enacted, SB 219 would amend RSA 654 by adding a new section requiring state participation in ERIC and formalizing voter-data sharing between the secretary of state and other agencies. It would expand the secretary of state’s duties to include ERIC membership compliance, duplicate-record review, referral of suspected illegal voting to the attorney general, and outreach to unregistered eligible citizens. The fiscal note anticipates at least some ongoing administrative costs, with funding expected from federal or HAVA sources and no new positions authorized by the bill itself.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been controversial rather than broadly supported. In the Senate vote recorded in the context, the motion to deem the bill inexpedient to legislate passed 16-8, indicating a majority of senators opposed advancing the measure. The absence of committee transcript excerpts limits insight into detailed debate, but the vote suggests significant concern within the chamber about the proposal.
Contention
The main points of contention likely center on election administration, voter-data sharing, and the policy implications of joining ERIC. Supporters appear to view the bill as a tool for improving voter-roll accuracy, detecting duplicate registrations, and helping eligible but unregistered citizens register. Opponents likely objected to mandatory participation in an interstate data-sharing system, possible privacy and data-security concerns, the cost and staffing burden identified in the fiscal note, and the bill’s requirement to refer suspected illegal voting cases to the attorney general. The 16-8 inexpedient-to-legislate vote reflects these unresolved concerns.
Occupations: notaries public; use of communication technology to perform electronic notarizations and remote electronic notarizations; modify and expand. Amends secs. 3, 5, 26, 26a, 26b, & 27 of 2003 PA 238 (MCL 55.263 et seq.); adds sec. 26e & repeals sec. 26d of 2003 PA 238 (MCL 55.286d).