For two decades, a quiet system has been working behind the scenes to safeguard the integrity of voter registration. Established in 2004, the Social Security Administration’s HAVV system allows states to verify applicant information – name, date of birth, and the last four digits of a Social Security number – against federal records. The goal is simple: ensure those registering to vote are who they say they are, and are, in fact, eligible to vote.
But the numbers emerging from HAVV paint a disturbing picture. In 2025 alone, a staggering 13% of all verifications – over 318,000 applications out of 2.37 million – returned a “NO MATCH.” This isn’t a recent anomaly; since 2011, nearly 29% of all submissions have failed to find a corresponding record. Over the past fifteen years, a total of 28.1 million voter submissions have been unable to be verified against the federal government’s comprehensive databases.
The implications are profound. A significant portion of voter applications are proceeding without confirmation of basic identity details. This raises critical questions about the accuracy and security of state voter rolls, and the potential for vulnerabilities in our federal elections. The federal government, possessing the most complete records available, is effectively being shown a stream of unverified data originating at the state level.
Attempts to address this issue have faced resistance. The Department of Justice sought access to state voter rolls, including full Social Security numbers, to investigate these discrepancies. However, activist judges in Michigan, Oregon, and California blocked these efforts, effectively shielding state voter data from federal scrutiny. The HAVV system was initially designed to assist voters lacking valid driver’s licenses, offering an alternative verification method.
The sheer volume of “NO MATCH” results underscores the urgent need for stronger safeguards. Advocates argue that requiring voter ID is a crucial step towards ensuring election integrity, a position championed by legislation like the SAVE Act. The question remains: when a state receives a “NO MATCH” notification from the federal government, does it prioritize security and reject the application, or proceed with approval?
In 2021, unusual activity within the HAVV system drew attention. Arizona experienced a dramatic surge in submissions, leaping from an average of 500 per week to a startling 70,000 per week during a critical period coinciding with a state-authorized election audit. This spike occurred between July and August, just before the audit report was scheduled for release.
The timing is particularly noteworthy. Maricopa County officials, who had actively resisted the audit, appeared to be undertaking a large-scale review of voter rolls. During those ten weeks, a remarkable 58% of the 673,000 Arizona submissions resulted in a “NO MATCH,” fueling speculation about a deliberate effort to cleanse the rolls before the audit’s findings were made public.
The Help America Vote Act of 2002 mandates that states verify newly registered voters with their Motor Vehicle Administration. When a driver’s license isn’t available, the HAVV system is intended as the fallback verification method. However, seven states – Kentucky, New Mexico, Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia – currently do not utilize the HAVV system for various reasons.
Adding to the concern, four states didn’t process a single voter applicant through HAVV in 2025. This lack of participation raises questions about the commitment to thorough verification procedures and the potential for inconsistencies in voter registration practices across the country. The integrity of the electoral process hinges on diligent verification, and these numbers suggest a system under strain.
