Ohio and Iowa became the latest Republican-led states to signal they would be pulling out of a bipartisan interstate voter program, throwing the organization into an even more uncertain future after a critical board meeting.
They are the sixth and seventh Republican-led states to drop out of the Electronic Registration Information Center — ERIC — over the last year, joining Florida, West Virginia, Missouri, Louisiana and Alabama. Other states could soon be on the way as well.
The exodus of GOP officials from the once-uncontroversial group comes as some prominent Republicans — most notably former President Donald Trump — have publicly attacked it. The decision from the states to leave the partnership came shortly following a meeting of ERIC’s board on Friday, where member states voted on significant changes to the governance of the organization.
Other states could follow in Ohio and Iowa’s footsteps. Alaska’s elections director has said during a legislative hearing earlier this month that the state may leave the organization, while Texas’ secretary of state has taken public steps to prepare her office for a withdrawal should the state drop out.
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