Friday, September 26, 2008
There have been many misstatements and confusion over the recent implementation of the Voter Verification law otherwise known as the “no match, no vote” law originally passed in 2006. The Division of Elections’ mission along with local supervisors of elections is to register voters and make sure that they can cast a ballot on Election Day that will be counted.
And just to clarify, this law will not affect the status of the 10.7 million already registered voters. The law will apply to all new applications received on or after Sept. 8. The implementation started then due to prolonged litigation and the need for computer updates to provide timely notice to applicants.
Unlike what activists are saying, obvious errors, including nicknames or typos will be resolved and that applicant will be registered to vote. Every voter registration applicant must provide (if issued) a Florida driver’s license number, state identification card number or the last four digits of the Social Security number.
The identification number is automatically cross-checked against the Florida driver’s license database or the Social Security Administration database. If that number does not match, the Bureau of Voter Registration Services manually reviews for identifiable typographical errors or a difference between a nickname and formal name based on available records and the actual voter registration application.
If the number still cannot be matched, the applicant is notified to provide a photocopy of his or her identification by mail, by fax, or by e-mail; or the applicant may show identification in person.
If proof is provided before the election, the applicant becomes registered and is able to vote a regular ballot.
If proof is not provided before the election, the person may vote a provisional ballot.
The person may provide proof up until 5 p.m. of the second day after the election for the ballot to be counted.
This law does not keep any person with an unverified number from being able to vote. This law is about verifying identity at the time of registration, so that when the voter goes to the polls the voter can vote a regular ballot, not a provisional ballot. ID required and checked at the polls is used solely to confirm the voter’s identity, not to verify the voter’s ID number or address. The photograph on the ID is compared to the person standing before the poll worker and the signature on the ID is compared to the signature on record.
This law does not target specific groups. The U.S. Department of Justice reviewed the law in 2005, and after revisions to the law in 2007 and 2008, found that the law did not deny or abridge the right to vote on account of race, color or membership in a language minority group.
The courts have held that the Voter Verification law is valid because the state has a compelling interest to have accurate voter rolls. And despite what others have said, the state provided examples of fraudulent applications that had come through the system because the law had been temporarily stopped.
This is a good law that will help our voter rolls achieve more accuracy and less fraud, while creating minimal inconvenience for prospective voters. We encourage you to register now, review your application before submission, and call your local supervisor if you have any questions.
See you on Election Day.
