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As 2024 rapidly approaches, the election denial movement has been laying the groundwork for more post-election chaos and confusion, thanks to its attacks on a bipartisan system used by states to keep voter rolls up to date.
That system, the nonprofit Electronic Registration Information Center, has been targeted by many of the same people who tried to overturn the 2020 election — and that pressure campaign is the subject of an in-depth and wide-reaching new report published this week by American Oversight.
The report, “The Campaign to Dismantle ERIC,” details how anti-democratic activists have worked behind the scenes to push nine Republican-led states to abandon ERIC — and what that means for our democracy in 2024.
The report, covered by Votebeat’s Jen Fifield, is based on thousands of pages of public records that American Oversight obtained through requests and litigation. It outlines how ERIC went from a non-controversial organization that quietly helped states securely maintain accurate voter rolls to a target of the election denial movement thanks to conspiracy theories and false claims.
- The documents in the report reveal how state officials privately acknowledged the importance of ERIC before withdrawing — and how those states left the system without any adequate replacements in place.
- It also shows how the exodus opened the door for Trump allies like Cleta Mitchell and others to promote their own alternatives that would make it easier for voter fraud activists to challenge the voting rights of other citizens.
- The ERIC exodus and the misinformation surrounding it make states more vulnerable to false claims of election fraud in 2024 — the same claims that the election denial movement has used to undermine our democracy over the past three years.
“The effort to dismantle a nonpartisan, secure, and well-functioning system of voter registration data-sharing is a part of a broader attempt to undermine faith in our democracy and our country’s elections,” American Oversight’s Deputy Executive Director Chioma Chukwu said.
- “These documents show how the election denial movement exerted undue influence over state leaders, effectively paving the way for Trump’s allies to sow chaos in the 2024 election,” Chukwu added. “As another election year approaches, it is vital for the American people to see how the same forces that sought to overturn 2020 are still working to undermine our democracy.”
- We created a four-day newsletter series to explain our findings — and talk about why it matters. It starts this coming Monday, Dec. 18 — sign up here, and share it with others so that more people know about this threat to our democracy.
On the Records
Florida’s Anti-ESG Divestment
American Oversight obtained records that shed light on Florida’s abrupt divestment from the firm Blackrock Inc. in December 2022, which was spurred by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ongoing crusade against responsible environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing.
- Included in the documents are emails that show at least one high-ranking employee in the Florida State Board of Administration was surprised by the state suddenly barring Blackrock from managing about $2 million of state treasury funds.
- “Was this an anticipated move? And is there a transition plan in place?” A senior investment officer wrote in one email. “You may want to copy the whole group on reply – not sure how official I need to be here.”
- We also obtained a letter from the Florida Department of Financial Services alleging that it could not locate any records responsive to a request we filed seeking any guidance or assessments related to the financial impacts of such divestments.
- Read more about our related work investigating conservative attacks on ESG investing here.
The Right-wing Anti-ERIC Campaign
On Friday, we published a look at a key aspect of our “Campaign to Dismantle ERIC” report: How records we obtained in our far-reaching investigation reveal the motivations behind states leaving ERIC.
The documents suggest a strong connection between Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s decision to leave ERIC and a series of articles riddled with inaccuracies that was published in January 2022 by the fringe far-right website Gateway Pundit.
- On Jan. 21 — the day after the first article and less than a week before Ardoin’s announcement about ERIC — an official in the secretary’s office forwarded Ardoin a statement from ERIC’s executive director that addressed falsehoods in the article.
- That evening, Ardoin replied to top staff in his office: “I’m likely going to suspend our membership until we can make sure our data isn’t being used or supplie[d] to other organizations,” he wrote, indicating he was aware of both the article and ERIC’s refutation.
- Ardoin texted also J. Christian Adams, a right-wing elections lawyer and ERIC critic, asking for a call to discuss ERIC, and was in touch with other prominent election deniers around that time.
Louisiana’s withdrawal in 2022 set the stage for a fast-growing anti-ERIC campaign, resulting in a wave of states exiting in early 2023. Documents highlight the speciousness of many officials’ public reasons for abandoning ERIC, with several top election administrators expressing concern.
- Emails from January 2022 show Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s chief of staff characterized the first of the Gateway Pundit’s articles about ERIC as “horrible and misleading.”
- In Texas, an assistant secretary of state emailed state Rep. Matt Shaheen’s chief of staff in January 2023 to respond to a question about ERIC, debunking the Gateway Pundit’s misinformation and explaining the benefits ERIC membership provided Texas.
- Two months later, the day Ohio withdrew, then-state Director of Elections Amanda Grandjean wrote to ERIC Executive Director Shane Hamlin, “As you know, I really worked as hard as I possibly could to avoid this.”
Other Stories We're Following
Election Denial and Threats to Democracy
- Wisconsin Republican leader stands by fake Trump elector, will keep him on elections commission (Associated Press)
- Giuliani’s words used against him in poll worker defamation trial (Washington Post)
- Jurors will begin deciding how much Giuliani must pay for lies in a Georgia election workers’ case (Associated Press)
- Ga. poll worker describes harrowing threats in Giuliani defamation trial (Washington Post)
- Ford defends pace of three year investigation into NV fake electors (Nevada Current)
Voting Rights
- Civil rights groups appeal court ruling that threatens Voting Rights Act enforcement (NPR)
- Supreme Court allows Texas voting map challenged by civil rights advocates (Washington Post)
- Judge declines to approve Nebraska voting rights settlement, cites ‘wrench’ in works (Nebraska Examiner)
- Hinds County Election Commission agrees to explain ballot shortages in future public meeting (Mississippi Today)
- NY high court paves way for Democrats to redraw congressional map (Reuters)
In the States
- DeSantis wants to assign more National Guard members to Florida prisons (Tampa Bay Times)
- More Florida cities are using citizen boards to investigate police. The state may stop it. (Florida Times-Union)
- Bradley funneled $86 million to right-wing litigation, policy, media, youth groups, and higher education in 2022 (Center for Media and Democracy)
- Three court of criminal appeal judges up for reelection targeted by Ken Paxton’s political revenge machine (Texas Tribune)
- Immigrant advocates prepare residents for law that would make illegal entry to Texas a state crime (Texas Public Radio)
National News
- The National Sheriffs Association could police its members, but it does not (Democracy Docket)
- Police resistance and politics undercut the authority of prosecutors trying to reform the justice system (ProPublica)
- The thousands of local elections that will shape criminal justice policy in 2024 (Bolts)
LGBTQ Rights
- Ohio legislators pass ban on gender-affirming care for minors, sending bill to governor (Washington Post)
- The Supreme Court rejects an appeal over bans on conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ children (Associated Press)
- Ohio Senate clears ban on gender-affirming care for minors, transgender athletes in girls sports (Associated Press)
Abortion and Reproductive Rights
- Supreme Court will decide access to key abortion drug mifepristone (Washington Post)
- Anti-abortion attorneys ascend federal government ranks with Christian right legal training (News from the States)
- Texas Supreme Court blocks order allowing abortion; woman who sought it leaves state (Texas Tribune)
- Woman fighting Kentucky’s abortion laws says her embryo isn’t viable (Washington Post)
- A judge may rule on Wyoming’s abortion laws, including the first explicit US ban on abortion pills (Associated Press)
- Supreme Court turns away challenge to abortion clinic buffer zones (The Hill)
- Broward anti-abortion center broke the rules and still got more and more taxpayer money (Miami Herald)
- Missouri attorney general seeks to block subpoena in abortion amendment lawsuit (Missouri Independent)
- Arizona Supreme Court weighs the future of legal abortion (Arizona Mirror)
- An ‘abortion abolitionist’ became an Oklahoma senator. The fringe is celebrating its big victory (Guardian)
- New Mexico Supreme Court weighs whether to strike down local abortion restrictions (Associated Press)
Threats to Education
- Virginia court revives lawsuit by teacher fired for refusing to use transgender student’s pronouns (Associated Press)
- UW Board of Regents votes down compromise on DEI, pay raises (Wisconsin Public Radio)
- UW Regents closed session likely breached open meetings guidance, legislative attorneys find (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- Oklahoma governor executive order to put higher education diversity programs under review (Oklahoman)
- Florida school board to vote on demanding resignation from Moms for Liberty co-founder (Miami Herald)
- Ohio cases mentioned in national study of ‘discriminatory censorship laws’ (News from the States)
- Petitions filed for ‘parents’ bill of rights’ ballot measure in Washington (Washington State Standard)
- Texas leaders approve school library rules amid ongoing fight about inappropriate books (Dallas Morning News)
- Kansas school district turns against books that mention nudity, sexual orientation, gender identity (Kansas Reflector)
Government Transparency and Public Records Law
- DeSantis staffers blocked release of travel records, whistleblower says (Washington Post)
- Lack of transparency in New York courts undermines democracy (State Court Report)
- Year after year, most Texas police departments report zero hate crimes. Here’s why. (Texas Tribune)
- Facing threat of lawsuit, Trempealeau County agrees to provide gun death records (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Trump Accountability
- Trump is still breaking new ground in ridiculous 2020 denialism (Washington Post)
- How Trump netted evangelical votes in Iowa, with help from a young Christian operative (Reuters)
- Less appetite — and opportunity — to serve as fake Trump electors in 2024 (Washington Post)
Jan. 6 Investigations
- Supreme Court to review obstruction law used against January 6 rioters that could impact the case against Trump (CNN)
- Judge pauses Trump’s 2020 election interference case while he appeals his immunity claim (Associated Press)
- DOJ has Trump’s cell phone data from Jan. 6 — and will present it at trial, prosecutors reveal (Forbes)
- Recordings describe 2020 Oval Office photo-op where Trump was briefed on fake electors and January 6 (CNN)
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