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Why are Republicans abandoning one of the best
tools out

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there to catch voter fraud?

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It's called ERIC.

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It's a partnership that lets states know when
their voters

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move, die, or vote more than once in different
states,

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which is illegal and rare.

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It's one of the best fraud fighting tools that
we

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have.

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That's Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

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He said that in February, but he pulled out of

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Eric a month later.

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These eight Republican states have all pulled
out of the

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program.

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These lighter orange ones are still in.

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So what happened?

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Well, our investigation traced it back to a
key week

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in January 2022.

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That's when a far-right website called the
Gateway Pundit started

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targeting Eric with conspiracy theories.

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It called the partnership a left-wing ploy to
register voters.

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Then, just a week later, Louisiana became the
first state

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to pull out.

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The Secretary of State's decision shocked the
voting world, but

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his motivations became clearer after we found
this video of

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him announcing the decision to a cheering
group of conservative

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activists.

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Suspending Louisiana's participation in that
program.

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So what does all this mean for 2024?

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Less data sharing means less accurate voter
rolls.

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For voters, that can mean longer lines and
mail getting

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sent to the wrong places.

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But in the bigger picture.

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This is a blueprint for how conspiracy
theories can turn

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into policy.