Existing law requires the Secretary of State to establish a statewide system to facilitate removal of duplicate or prior voter registrations to facilitate the reporting of election results and voter and candidate information and to otherwise administer and enhance election administration. Existing law also requires that certain voter registration information be provided to, among others, any person for election, scholarly, journalistic, or political purposes, or for governmental purposes, as determined by the Secretary of State.

This bill would allow the Secretary of State to apply for membership with the Electronic Registration Information Center and, if that application is approved, allow the Secretary of State to execute a membership agreement with the Electronic Registration Information Center on behalf of the state. The bill would require the Secretary of State to ensure that any confidential information or data provided by another state remains confidential, and would authorize the Secretary of State to transmit confidential information or data pursuant to that agreement. The bill would prohibit the disclosure of any information or data related to citizenship and certain types of driver’s licenses and identification cards, as specified. The bill would also authorize the Secretary of State to adopt regulations necessary to implement these provisions and would require the Secretary of State to receive a certification from the Department of Technology that all proper cybersecurity protections are in place before sending any data or information to the Electronic Registration Information Center.