May 7, 2022 2 min read

Legislation intended to allow the state to use more sources of information to remove voter rolls of deceased people is pending in the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

The bill allows the state to employ more data sources like the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) and the National Change of Address System by checking voter registration lists against other resources such as the Social Security Administration and U.S. Postal Service, among others, to ensure accurate voter rolls.

Pennsylvania state law requires the Department of Health to notify local election officials when someone over 18 dies. Election officials are then instructed to update registration records to remove the deceased voter promptly.

Although the state has employed ERIC since 2015, it has not fully used its capabilities due to limitations in its election code. Fully participating in ERIC would allow the state to discover address changes and eliminate duplicate registrations. This regular purging of the voter rolls will present a far more accurate and updated list of voters.

We must seek all avenues to ensure that we have the most precise voter information on Election Day. The regular review of voter registration rolls is also a definitive way to eradicate voter fraud. This simple fix to ensure election integrity is a legislative action that should be enacted swiftly.

Nick Sherman

Washington County commissioner