MIAMI, FL – APRIL 29: A voter fills out a ballot during the early voting period on a ballot issue to decide if the Miami Dolphins and their owner Stephen Ross will be able to tap into $289 million in public funding that the team is seeking to help renovate their stadium on April 29, 2013 in Miami, Florida. Early voting started without a clear understanding if it will even be counted because the stadium renovation plan is dependent on the Florida legislature voting to increase the Miami-Dade mainland hotel tax rate from 6 to 7 percent and they have not yet decided to vote on that issue themselves. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Florida officials announced Wednesday that the state's voter registration rolls are now linked to a national database that could help elections officials detect possible fraud — or spot multiple voter registration files across state lines.
Gov. Ron DeSantis had previously announced his state's intent to join the national network known as ERIC, but it became official Wednesday when his office said the state's application had been approved for membership.
Florida joins 28 other states and the District of Columbia as part of a network operated by the Electronic Registration Information Center, which is supposed to help elections officials more efficiently update voter registration records so the same person does not have multiple records across jurisdictions.
Florida has had its share of ballot box controversies over the years, including the revelation earlier this year that hackers had infiltrated the election systems of at least two of the state's 67 counties.
The secretary of state's office, which oversees elections across Florida, has sought to regain public trust ahead of next year's presidential elections but has revealed little about its examination into the integrity of county run election systems across the state.
"My administration is committed to protecting the integrity of Florida's voter rolls and preventing election fraud," DeSantis said in a statement released by his office.
"As a member of ERIC, Florida is now equipped with more tools to further ensure accurate voter rolls, make voting easier and reduce costs to taxpayers."
Local
Joining the network allows state officials to tap into voter registration systems, motor vehicle records and other databases to help verify voter registrations.
