SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois' plan to join a national voter registration database is raising questions about potential security issues.

The state will become part of the Electronic Registration Information Center program in 2016 under a plan former Gov. Pat Quinn signed. It's part of a law allowing Election Day voter registration.

Roughly a dozen states use the program known as ERIC to make registration more cost efficient and clean rolls.

Officials in Maryland, Washington and Utah say they haven't had problems and the system works well. ERIC officials tell The Springfield Bureau of Lee Enterprises  they follow "above normal" security protocols.

However, experts are raising concerns about security breaches.

Tom Imboden is a Southern Illinois University professor of information systems technologies. He questions what consequences will be if the program is hacked.

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