Walsh Calls on Rauner to Pull Illinois out of Questionable Voter Crosscheck Program

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Larry Walsh, Jr., D-Joliet, is calling on Gov. Rauner to sign a bill that would take Illinois out of a controversial voter registration verification program that has resulted in voter roll purges in states where it is used.

“The problems with Crosscheck far outweigh the benefits,” Walsh said. “The simple fact that this database can’t tell the difference between a Larry Walsh in Illinois and a Larry Walsh in Massachusetts is cause for grave concern.”

The Crosscheck program is designed to identify potential duplicate registrations on voter rolls across states. It was created in 2005 by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, and Illinois began using Kobach’s database in 2010 when nothing else existed. Many people, including election experts have criticized Crosscheck’s lack of security, susceptibility to hackers and high rate of errors its reports. The Walsh-backed Senate Bill 2273 would prevent the state from sharing any voter information with any interstate voter registration program other than the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), which is a non-profit, funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts. The bill is currently sitting on the governor’s desk, awaiting his signature to become law.

“Crosscheck not only fails when it comes to serving its intended purpose, but it has put millions of people’s personal information at risk as well,” Walsh said. “It’s past time we move in a different direction, one where we protect voters’ personal and sensitive information while promoting impartial and honest elections.”