Michigan has joined a national database to strengthen the accuracy of its voter rolls, the Secretary of State announced on Wednesday.
According to officials, Michigan will be the 25th state to join the Electronic Registration Information Center or ERIC.
ERIC is a database that compares state voter rolls against social security information, post office data, and other state databases to ensure accuracy.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said she’s been calling for the state to join the database since 2012.
“This is a critical step that’s needed to ensure the accuracy of our voter files and ensure that eligible voters who move to Michigan are registered and those who move from Michigan are able to get registered in their new home state.”
Benson said the state has fallen behind on updating its voter rolls.
“We had never previously used the national change of address database, for example, to update our files. We never communicated with the post office as most people do when they move. It’s something that 24 other states had already been taking advantage of and I’m glad we’re up to speed with them.”
Benson said she used federal dollars to help pay the $25,000 membership fee for the program.
She said the program will eventually save the state money.