* As you know, Gov. Rauner vetoed a bill that would’ve removed Illinois from the controversial Crosscheck program. Tribune…
Democrats have contended the database is being used to deny people the ability to vote, noting that some states have been sued for wiping out voter registrations based solely on the system’s findings without following procedures spelled out in federal voting rights laws. They also say the system has faulty security, including out-of-date encryption technology and instances in which usernames and passwords were routinely emailed to states across the country. […]
The governor Tuesday rejected security concerns about CrossCheck, saying they are being put forth for “political purposes.”
“I think that’s not true and I think that’s more politically motivated. I don’t think that’s based upon security issues,” Rauner said. “As I have indicated in the past, I think it’s good and worthwhile for Illinois to be a part of the CrossCheck system.”
Questions about the state’s enrollment in CrossCheck were brought to the fore by Indivisible Chicago, a progressive group formed following President Donald Trump’s election that found various security lapses.
* But CrossCheck is currently in a state of limbo…
The Illinois State Board of Elections said Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of the plan to remove Illinois from the Interstate Voter Crosscheck Program won’t change much because Illinois isn’t using Crosscheck right now.
Matt Dietrich, a spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections, said the state of Illinois hasn’t sent any voter data to the Crosscheck program in over a year, and hasn’t used any information from Crosscheck in two years.
Dietrich said Crosscheck has been, essentially, dormant.
“Back in January, Crosscheck told us they were waiting on an assessment from the Department of Homeland Security on their security and data handling,” Dietrich said. “They said they would get back to us, and would not ask for any data or accept any data until they had a clean bill of health from DHS.” […]
Dietrich said the state board looked at dropping Crosscheck earlier this year, but the board couldn’t agree on whether it was a good idea or not.
“The real question now, for us, is what is the status of Crosscheck itself,” Dietrich said. “The ball is in their court now. They told us that when DHS says they’re good to go that we will hear from them. We never heard anything from them.”
The state board split 4-4 on partisan lines on whether to get out of Crosscheck.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Jul 19, 18 @ 10:24 am:
From Rauner:
“As I have indicated in the past, I think it’s good and worthwhile for Illinois to be a part of the CrossCheck system.”
From Wikipedia:
Interstate Crosscheck is part of a larger, ongoing controversy over whether or not such voter registration programs are a valid means of protecting against fraud. Double voting, after it occurs, is the only type of fraud Crosscheck can detect. Crosscheck does not prevent double voting and does not detect any other type of individual voter fraud.
Despite over seven million “potential double registrants” being “flagged” by the Crosscheck program in 2014, less than four people were charged with voting more than once, and not a single flagging led to a conviction, casting doubt on the system’s usefulness.
From 47th Ward:
As a means of preventing voter fraud, it’s useless. That makes me wonder what it’s real purpose is. It’s hard to escape the conclusion that this is simply designed to automatically remove some voters from the rolls, making it less likely that they will vote. In short, organized, state-sponsored disenfranchisement.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 19, 18 @ 10:30 am:
Imagine that, a bunch of politicians trying to drum up a crisis where a problem doesn’t even exist.
It’d be comical if it weren’t so commonplace as Illinois real problems go unaddressed.
- H.E. - Thursday, Jul 19, 18 @ 10:31 am:
Anyone who sat through the General Assembly hearing on Crosscheck late last year came away with the unmistakable impression that the Board of Election’s non-partisan staff thinks the system is a heeping, stinking pile of you-know-what.
But the Republican members of the board were against formally withdrawing from the system and the deadlocked 4 to 4 vote meant no action could be taken. Looks like the staff is refusing to participate in Crosscheck on a de facto basis.
- Anon221 - Thursday, Jul 19, 18 @ 10:36 am:
At least the staff is putting a check on CrossCheck. Rauner’s belief in CrossCheck comes off almost as T does to P. (Some snark there before you all jump me)
- Arsenal - Thursday, Jul 19, 18 @ 10:56 am:
If we’re not sending it any info, and it hasn’t contacted us since the winter, why are we still in it?
- Roman - Thursday, Jul 19, 18 @ 11:10 am:
- Arsenal -
They joined Crosscheck via a formal vote by the board, so my understanding is the board has to vote to formally withdraw.
- I Miss Bentohs - Thursday, Jul 19, 18 @ 1:02 pm:
Can someone ask Matt if we are paying for something but not receiving any services?
Is a refund coming for the last two years?
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 19, 18 @ 1:03 pm:
===Is a refund coming===
No. The program is “free.”
- getafteritguy - Thursday, Jul 19, 18 @ 6:33 pm:
===No. The program is “Free”===
This is debatable as the system generates so much garbage data that has to be combed through and confirmed, the man hours and resources needed to verify the Crosscheck results outweighs the cost of the significantly more accurate ERIC program. Is there a line item cost specific to Crosscheck…no. Is there a cost to Crosscheck…..an enormous one, including the cost of other state mis-using results to perform mass purging of their voter rolls. Think, Indiana, Georgia, North Carolina.