Allen launches ‘clean and accurate’ voter database

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September 18, 2023

The next phase in the state’s official withdrawal of the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) is an “Alabama-based solution” known as AVID, Secretary of State Wes Allen announced this morning.

Allen said the Alabama Voter Integrity Database is the culmination of eight months of collaboration between his office and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

“Today, I’m here to announce that the establishment of the Alabama voter integrity database, AVID – is a four prong system that my team and I have spent the last eight months developing to help us maintain a clean and accurate registered voter list,” Allen told reporters.

Allen said the system is already producing names of voters who should no longer be on the rolls.

“Utilizing data provided by ALEA, our IT department has identified 8,041 voters as of today, who have received driver’s licenses from other states, while remaining listed as active voters on Alabama’s voter registration list,” he said.

That’s the first component of AVID. Allen said the second involves the U.S. Postal Service change of address file.

“We have identified more than 30,000 active registered voters who have notified the United States Postal Service that they have relocated to an address outside of the state of Alabama,” Allen said.

He said the hallmark piece of AVID involves securing agreements with neighboring states to identify Alabama voters who are also registered in another state. Currently, secretaries of state from Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee have all signed an agreement with Alabama.

“The analysis of our voter list compared to that of Tennessee has already begun. And we have identified 8,501 voters who have more recently registered to vote or voted in Tennessee, but continue to appear on Alabama’s voter registration list,” Allen said.

“Data exchanges with the other four states will begin very soon. We are looking forward to entering into future agreements with even more states. Because of the development of AVID, we’ll be able to access the voter lists of every state that borders us. For the first time in history.”

Allen’s campaign promise to withdraw from ERIC involves a claim the group is funded in part by the Pew Charitable Trust, which he believes is “a Soros-funded, leftist group” that presents privacy concerns for Alabama voters.

So far, eight states have cut ties with the multistate system, decreasing its reach from 33 states to 25.

“The implementation of AVID to help maintain our voter rolls is incredibly important,” Allen said. “We are the first state in the nation to implement a system like this. And I am confident that we as a result of AVID will have the cleanest voter rolls that we have ever had.”

Grayson Everett is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270