Senate passes measure ending participation in flawed voter registration program

“The negatives of Crosscheck far outweigh any of the positives. By ending our participation in that system, we can guarantee that the personal information of Illinois voters won’t be weaponized by anyone.” - State Senator Bill Cunningham

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate passed legislation today ending Illinois’ participation in the controversial Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program. The program, called Crosscheck for short, is intended to check if people are registered to vote in multiple states.

However, the program is prone to cybersecurity concerns and has been used to suppress minority voters by purging valid voters from voter rolls.

In response, legislation was filed in Springfield that would require Illinois to use the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) instead of Crosscheck. ERIC uses tougher security protocols and more information to guarantee that personal information is correct and safer from hacking.

State Senator Bill Cunningham was the measure’s chief co-sponsor.

“The negatives of Crosscheck far outweigh any of the positives,” Cunningham said. “By ending our participation in that system, we can guarantee that the personal information of Illinois voters won’t be weaponized by anyone.”

The measure now goes to the House of Representatives.

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