Help America Vote Verification (HAVV) Transactions by State

What is HAVA?

The Help America Vote Act of 2002, P.L. 107-252 (HAVA) requires states to verify the information of newly registered voters for federal elections. Each state must establish a computerized state-wide voter registration list and verify new voter information with the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA).

States are required to verify the driver’s license number against the MVA’s database. Only in situations where no driver’s license exists may the state verify the last four digits of the new voter’s Social Security Number (SSN). The state submits the last four digits of the SSN, name, and date of birth to the MVA for verification with Social Security Administration (SSA). In addition, SSA is required to report whether its records indicate that the person is deceased.

The information submitted through the Help America Vote Verification (HAVV) system is kept confidential and must be used only for voter registration.

What is HAVV?

In August 2004, SSA developed a new verification process known as the Help America Vote Verification (HAVV) system to comply with the requirements of section 303 of HAVA. When an applicant for voter registration does not have a driver’s license, the state may request a 4-digit SSN verification from SSA through HAVV. The state must submit the applicant’s name, date of birth, and last four digits of their SSN. The HAVV system provides one of the following responses concerning the submitted data:

• No match,
• Single match alive,
• Multiple matches alive,
• Single match deceased,
• Multiple matches deceased,
• Multiple matches alive/deceased, or
• Invalid input data.

The state may use the 4-digit SSN verification in its voter registration determination.

Are all the States using the 4-digit HAVV system?

Pursuant to section 303(a)(5)(B)(ii) of the HAVA, SSA has an agreement with forty-five states for the use of HAVV to support their state’s voter registration process.

Five States (i.e. New Mexico, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia) are permitted to use the 9-digit SSN on applications for voter registration. These States do not obtain SSN verifications from SSA through HAVV for voter registration.

North Dakota has no voter registration requirement and does not use the HAVV system.

What does this data represent?

The HAVV transaction data represents the combined results of each state that chooses to use the HAVV system as part of its voter registration determination.

Note: Please address questions about a state’s use of HAVV to the appropriate voter registration official in that state.

What do these terms mean?

The following list describes the types of data in the HAVV dataset:

1. Total Transactions: The total number of verification requests received from each participating State through HAVV during the specified timeframe. Verification requests are combined from Sunday through Saturday.
2. Unprocessed Transactions: The total number of verification requests that could not be processed because the data sent to us was invalid, (e.g., missing, not formatted correctly).
3. Total Non-Matches: The total number of verification requests where we are unable to identify a match of the submitted information with information maintained in our system.
4. Total Matches: The total number of verification requests where we can match the submitted information with at least one person in our system.
5. Single Match Found - Alive: The total number of verification requests where we can match the submitted information with a single living person in our system.
6. Single Match Found - Deceased: The total number of verification requests where we can match the submitted information with a deceased person in our system.
7. Multiple Matches Found - All Alive: The total number of verification requests where we can match the submitted information with several people who are alive in our system.
8. Multiple Matches Found - All Deceased: The total number of verification requests where we able to match the submitted information with several people who are deceased in our system.
9. Multiple Matches Found - At least one alive and at least one deceased: The total number of verification requests where we can match the submitted information with at least one living person and at least one deceased person in our system.