SOS DIRECTIVES DO NOT FOLLOW HAVA LAW FOR IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS TO REGISTER TO VOTE

Voter registration applicant IDENTIFICATION requirements are clearly defined in HAVA,[1] in which a driver license number is required to be entered on a voter registration application and only if an applicant does not have a current and valid driver license shall the last four digits of social security number be entered. HAVA further states if this procedure is not followed, the application for voter registration may not be accepted or processed by a State. Section 4.04 of Directive 2023-24 in the SOS Elections Official Manual (EOM) directs otherwise when applying to register to vote in certain situations and on the paper voter registration application form, in noncompliance of HAVA. The Elections Official Manual is the publication that contains all permanent directives issued by the Ohio Secretary of State.

a.     When applying to register to vote in person at the BMV, the applicant’s name, address, birth date, driver license/state identification (DL/ID) and social security number are all available at the time of voter registration application. Some data is prefilled on the voter registration application by the BMV at the time of voter registration application. Since a photo is associated to the DL/ID, the person can be compared to the photo id. 

b.    When registering to vote online, the applicant’s first and last name, DL/ID number and SSN4 are required to be entered and matched to BMV records.  There is no verification the person registering to vote is the actual person in which voter registration information is entered. It could be another person or a computer entering the information online. 

c.    When registering to vote in-person at the SOS or county BOE,  the SOS EOM states a driver license number is required unless the applicant does not have or does not know or remember their driver license number, in which case the applicant is required to provide the SSN4.

This Directive is not in compliance with HAVA 52 U.S. Code § 21083 (a)(5).  

d.    When registering to vote in-person at a designated agency, some data may be prefilled on the paper voter registration application form by the designated agency. SOS EOM states a driver license number is required unless the applicant does not have or does not know or remember their driver license number, in which case the applicant is required to provide the SSN4.

This Directive is not in compliance with HAVA 52 U.S. Code § 21083 (a)(5).  

e.    When registering to vote by mail, the SOS EOM states an applicant is to provide at least one of either their DL/ID or last four digits of their social security number.

This Directive is not in compliance with HAVA 52 U.S. Code § 21083 (a)(5).  

f.     The paper Voter Registration and Information Update Form (rev. 2/7/2023) correctly includes the following Identification Requirements: “If you have a current Ohio driver's license or state ID card, you must provide that number on line 10. If you do not have an Ohio driver's license or state ID card, you must provide the last four digits of your Social Security number on line 10. If you have neither, please write NONE.”    However, the fill-in portion of the form states the following:

The paper voter registration application is not in compliance with HAVA 52 U.S. Code § 21083 (a)(5). How many electors exist on the statewide voter registration database who were and still are illegally registered on Ohio voter rolls with SSN4 entered as identification when the applicant had a current and valid DL/ID?    

Why is this a problem?

(1)  There is no address verification when a voter registration applicant enters SSN4 as identification; therefore, the RESIDENCY requirement to be eligible to vote is unnecessarily and illegally bypassed.

(2) The following are disturbing reports from Help America Vote Verification (HAVV); this program was created as a result of HAVA to monitor voter registrations in which the last four digits of social security number is entered as identification when applying to register to vote:   

·         The Social Security Administration (HAVV) reports over 800,000 Ohio voter registration applications with the last four digits of the social security number (SSN4) were entered as identification since 2011. Over 250,000 (30%+) of these applications returned a non-match of SSN4 to NAME and BIRTH DATE.

How many of the 250,000 non-match voter registrations were illegally added to the voter rolls when there was a valid and current DL/ID that should have been presented as identification?  How many have/had ineligible residences? How many were/are non-citizens?

·         Furthermore, 25,000 electors were added to Ohio voter rolls in 2023 in which SSN4 was entered as identification on voter registration applications; 12,499 (50%) of them returned a non-match of SSN4 to NAME and BIRTH DATE. 1 of every 2 voter registration applications submitted with SSN4 as identification in 2023 was reported as a non-match to NAME and BIRTH DATE. These voter registrations were added to Ohio voter rolls before the SSN4 was even verified!

None of the 12,499 non-match electors should have been added to Ohio voter rolls in 2023 unless voter registration application corrections were made beforehand. It is now likely virtually  all of these electors exist on Ohio voter rolls, and none of them will ever be verified for US citizenship on the current SOS Annual Non-citizen Review that only identifies non-citizens based on BMV records.

(3)  The SOS Annual Non-Citizen Review identifies only non-citizens based on records available at the BMV from persons who have DL/ID related documents on file at the BMV. If a voter registration applicant has a DL/ID and it was not entered on a voter registration application as required by law, but the applicant entered SSN4 based on SOS EOM directive instructions, voter registration records may be excluded from every SOS Annual Non-Citizen Review.

[1] HAVA 52 U.S. Code § 21083 (a)(5) VERIFICATION OF VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION (A): Requiring provision of certain information by applicants -

(i)    Except as provided in clause (ii), notwithstanding any other provision of law, an application for voter registration for an election for Federal office may not be accepted or processed by a State unless the application includes—

(I)    in the case of an applicant who has been issued a current and valid driver’s license, the applicant’s driver’s license number; or

(II)   in the case of any other applicant (other than an applicant to whom clause (ii) applies), the last 4 digits of the applicant’s social security number.

(ii)  Special rule for applicants without driver’s license or social security number - If an applicant for voter registration for an election for Federal office has not been issued a current and valid driver’s license or a social security number, the State shall assign the applicant a number which will serve to  identify the applicant for voter registration purposes. To the extent that the State has a computerized list in effect under this subsection and the list assigns unique identifying numbers to registrants, the number assigned under this clause shall be the unique identifying number assigned under the list.

(iii) Determination of validity of numbers provided - The State shall determine whether the information provided by an individual is sufficient to meet the requirements of this subparagraph, in accordance with State law.