Voting Security Rights
Ballot Access Authorization
Protecting Elections by Safeguarding the Integrity of the Voter Registration List
Authorization is a foundational pillar of voting security.
A complete, accurate, and lawfully verified authorization list — the Voter Registration List (VRL) — is essential to ensuring that only eligible citizens can access and cast ballots.
Mistakes that allow illegitimate names onto the VRL, or that remove lawfully qualified voters, threaten the enfranchisement of legal citizens and corrupt the electoral process.
To defend the voice of every lawful voter and to maintain election legitimacy, OAVS advocates for the following essential ballot access protections:
Core Security Measures for Ballot Access Authorization
Public Transparency and List Control
- The state must publicly publish a detailed and accurate statewide Voter Registration List (VRL), accessible to all citizens at the same time.
- Third-party processing or modification of the State VRL must be prohibited.
➔ Only Election Management Offices may handle official registration records.
Legal Confirmation of VRL Changes
- All changes to the State VRL must be confirmed and certified by the Election Management Office, ensuring compliance with election laws before entries are accepted.
Investigation of New Voter Registrations
- State law must require a minimum seven-day investigation period for every new Voter Registration Request prior to adding the individual to the Provisional Voter Registration List.
Citizen Observation and Challenge Period
- Citizens must be granted 21 days to review and confirm provisional voter entries.
- After the 21-day observation period, and resolution of any appeals, new voters may be added to the permanent VRL.
Provisional Ballot Rules
- Provisional ballots may be cast after the initial seven-day state investigation period.
- However, provisional ballots must not be counted until:
- The 21-day citizen oversight period has expired, and
- All appeals and disputes have been legally resolved.
Comprehensive Cross-Verification of Voter Registration Records
The Election Management Office must validate all VRL entries against multiple authoritative government databases, including:
- State DMV driver’s license and ID records
- State vital/death records
- State tax records
- State prison and felony conviction records
- State welfare and public assistance records
- State and federal jury duty records
- Social Security death records
- Federal felony conviction lists
- United States citizenship records
- United States Postal Service National Change of Address records
- SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) non-citizen records
Cross-checks must validate each voter’s:
- Legal name
- Residential address
- Citizenship status
- Criminal history eligibility
Address and Identity Verification Standards
The Election Management Office must verify addresses of new registrants using:
- County tax records, or
- Other verified residential databases.
Additional investigations must be triggered for:
- Single-family residences listing more than four registered voters.
- Multiple registrants at the same address with nearly identical names.
Secure Online Registration Standards
Online voter registration must be restricted to citizens who possess:
- A valid State-issued Driver’s License, or - State-issued Non-Driver’s License Photo Identification.
- A valid State-issued Driver’s License, or - State-issued Non-Driver’s License Photo Identification.
Prohibition of Automatic or Same-Day Voter Registration
The state must prohibit automatic voter registration.
➔ Citizens must willfully and lawfully apply for registration.
The state must prohibit same-day voter registration on Election Day.
Closing
Ballot access authorization is not a technical formality — it is the gatekeeper of lawful elections.
Without strict verification of voter eligibility, unlawful ballots can be cast, lawful voters can be disenfranchised, and trust in elections can be permanently lost.
Through rigorous public oversight, legal confirmation, and uncompromising security, we protect the foundation of every citizen’s right to vote.