Committee members spent substantial time on cross-state data sharing through ERIC, how Georgias hashed-data process works, and why the state requested an exemption from ERICs eligible-but-unregistered (EBU) mailing program in 2024.

What state staff said: Blake Evans said Georgia joins ERIC under authority granted in House Bill 316 (2019) and that an exemption to the EBU mailings was approved by ERIC members after the state concluded the cost of that outreach did not justify the return given the large number of DDS records already available. Regarding data security, Evans said Georgia submits hashed data (a transformation of identifiers) rather than raw Social Security numbers and that ERIC and member states never receive Georgias raw unencrypted identifiers.

What members asked: Representatives asked whether ERIC receives identifiable fields and whether Georgia or member states could audit recipient systems. Evans said ERIC receives hashed strings and mailing addresses for the purpose of cross-state matching; he said hashed data is transferred via secure file protocols and that ERIC does not receive unredacted Social Security numbers from Georgia.

Critics and proponents: Scott Turner and several public commenters raised concerns about sharing sensitive information with third parties and urged careful review of contracts and statutory authority. Others on the committee asked about cost-effectiveness; Evans said ERIC membership cost is based on voter population and was roughly $98,000 in a recent year, while state-to-state bilateral exchanges are more time-consuming and costly.

Ending note: Members asked the secretary of states office for follow-up documentation on what hashed fields are transferred to ERIC, the security certifications ERIC maintains and a clearer accounting of membership and audit capabilities for recipient systems; the office said it will provide follow-up information to the committee.