Each of 6,952,484 names on Crosscheck represents a suspected double voter whose registration has become subject to challenge and removal, threatening a massive purge of voters.
This applies to 1 in 7 African-Americans, 1 in 8 Asian-Americans and 1 in 8 Hispanic voters in 27 states including Colorado. At the heart of this is the Interstate Crosscheck program. Officials say that these names represent fraudsters who have voted in two or more states in the same election.
Interstate Crosscheck is the creation of Kansas Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach. According to a Kobach, the program is a sophisticated fraud-detection system, using first, last and middle name or initial; date of birth; suffixes; and Social Security number, or at least its last four digits. But the lists show that not only are middle names commonly mismatched and suffix discrepancies ignored, birthdates don't seem to have been taken into account. Crosscheck also ignores Social Security mismatches. All it takes to become a suspect is sharing a first and last name with another voter.
Why have there been no mass convictions? In 2013, Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler announced that Crosscheck had helped identify 17 cases of alleged fraud In July, the Boulder D.A. announced that none involved fraud.
Crosscheck instructs each participating state to send a postcard or letter to suspected double voters, requiring them to restate and verify their name and address, sign the card and return it. Marketers know people glance at unsolicited mail for no more than two seconds."
Without followup, the method ensures a low response rate." Neither Kansas nor Crosscheck states will reveal how many cards are returned or how many people lose their vote.
Several states use the Electronic Registration Information Center, which requires a match in multiple fields. ERIC doesn't merely attempt to remove names but also to add those who are eligible to vote. ERIC states must agree to find those who have moved or have an outdated registration in another state and add them to voter rolls.
