Help America Vote Act

The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) is an item of United States federal election law signed in to law on October 29, 2002. Under HAVA, a new federal voter registration form was created. HAVA guarantees the ability of individuals to cast a provisional ballot and have the validity of their registration checked later if they do not appear on voter registration rolls.

MAIN POINTS OF HAVA
The law requires:

  • voters to show ID before voting
  • states to provide provisional ballots for voters whose registration status is unclear when they arrive to vote
  • states to provide a way for those with impaired vision or hearing to cast a secret ballot
  • states to make polling locations and voting machines accessible to voters with physical disabilities
  • voting machines to allow voters to verify ballots before they are cast
  • voters be able to correct a mistake or leave a blank, i.e., not cast a vote in a particular contest
  • voters be notified if they "misvote," i.e., cast votes for two different candidates running for the same office. Voters must also be told if a misvote will void their ballot
  • voting systems to leave a record that can be audited
  • voting systems to leave a permanent paper record that can be used as an official record should a recount become necessary
  • that states, in some cases, provide ballots for voters who don't speak English
  • states to create and maintain electronic voter registration databases and improve efforts to remove ineligible voters from the registration rolls
  • states to offer sample ballots for voters to review before the date of the election
  • absentee voters to provide copies of IDs or an ID number for voter verification, but states must maintain the secrecy of the vote
HELPFUL LINKS:
Florida Department of State
U.S. Election Assistance Commission

Contact Us

Hours of Operation
Monday - Friday
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
(Excluding Holidays)

General Contact Information
Phone: 954-357-VOTE (8683)
Fax: 954-357-7070
elections@browardvotes.gov

Voter Registration Information
Phone: 954-357-VOTE (8683)
registration@browardvotes.gov

Name or Address Change Information
Phone: 954-357-VOTE (8683)
registration@browardvotes.gov

Vote By Mail Request Information
Phone: 954-357-7055
VoteByMailRequest@browardvotes.gov

Election Day Operations Information
Phone: 954-459-9911
pollworker@browardvotes.gov

Candidate Qualifying Information
Phone: 954-712-1961