By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – In the latest election-related move in Virginia, Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed an executive order Tuesday to rejoin a multi-state voter data system and set new rules for how voter rolls are reviewed and maintained.
Executive Order 13 begins the process of bringing Virginia back into the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC. The system is used by states to share voter registration and motor vehicle data to identify outdated or duplicate records.
ERIC helps states flag voters who may have moved, died or be registered in more than one state, allowing election officials to update voter rolls and contact voters when needed.
Membership in ERIC is unstable. Today, there are 25 states plus the District of Columbia – the latter a member consecutively since 2015. In 2025 and 2024, there were 21 states, down from 28 in 2023 and 31 in 2022. There were 28 in 2021, 23 in 2020, 22 in 2019, 19 in 2018, 18 in 2017 and 12 in 2016.
Virginia withdrew from ERIC in 2023 under former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
At the time, state officials cited concerns about rising costs, data privacy and participation gaps among neighboring states, according to a 2023 letter from the Virginia Department of Elections announcing the withdrawal. The letter also pointed to uncertainty around how the system was being managed as several states exited.
The decision drew political criticism at the time, with Democrats saying the move could weaken voter list accuracy, while state officials said they would pursue other data-sharing efforts.
The new order directs election officials to begin the process of rejoining within 30 days.
“I’m acting early to strengthen Virginia’s transparent, robust voting process and protect the rights of all eligible Virginia voters,” Spanberger said in a statement.
“The actions Virginia is taking today are not only critical to allowing all eligible Virginia voters to register and cast their ballot, but to making sure that only Virginians who are eligible to vote are able to vote in our commonwealth, this year and in every election into the future.”
Beyond rejoining ERIC, the order lays out changes across several areas, including ballot security, equipment testing, election result verification and voter list maintenance.
Under the order, the Department of Elections has to confirm each year that ballot security procedures are being followed. That includes tracking ballots through each step of the process, matching ballots to voter check-ins during early voting and Election Day, and verifying required information on absentee ballots before they are counted.
The order also reinforces existing rules for voting equipment. Virginia uses paper ballots, and counting machines are not connected to the internet. All equipment must be tested before each election and certified to state and federal standards.
To make sure results are accurate, the order lays out a step-by-step review process. Election officers check results at the precinct level on election night. Local electoral boards then review those results during the post-election canvass, including confirming that ballots received match ballots distributed. After that, the Department of Elections conducts a final state-level review before results are certified.
Election officials are also directed to review potential cases of ineligible voting identified through interstate data systems after elections.
In addition, the order sets requirements for maintaining voter lists, including that any systematic effort to remove ineligible voters must be completed at least 90 days before a federal election.
The Department of Motor Vehicles is also directed to share information daily with election officials, including new registrations, address changes and eligibility data, to help keep voter rolls current.
The order further requires election officials to provide information to voters about election-related offenses under Virginia law, including penalties tied to illegal voting, intimidation and interference with the voting process.
The order takes effect immediately and replaces earlier executive actions related to election procedures.
Requests for additional comment were sent to the governor’s office and the Virginia Department of Elections.
