Changes in Voter Change History: In the recent QVF software update to version 1.78, QVF implemented a new change history mechanism. QVF software now records more comprehensive change history data in parallel with the old change history data.   This allows you to see the differences between the old and the new reporting mechanisms. We will stop posting history to the old format in the very near future. However, the existing old format history will remain in the voter records.  The history feature, accessible from the voter registration screen, now brings up a three-tabbed voter history screen: one for the new change history, another for the old change history, and a third for voting record information.  These changes were implemented to allow both election officials and QVF personnel to better follow changes that are made to a voting record.  For instance, if a voter moved thirty days prior to an election, the history in the old format listed the action date, not the actual date of the move.  In the new format, the actual move date shows along with the posting date.  Another good example is a name change for a woman who has married.  In the old format, the history simply showed the date, the user name and the message “ name change from……” .  It did not list the new name or any other useful details.  Now, in the new change history, the old name is shown along with the new name.  The new driver’s license number is listed as a separate message and the date and time of the change is listed along with the user’s name.    While this new history might take a little time to get used to, we feel that the jurisdictions will ultimately find it very helpful.  We encourage you to learn how the new history format works and compare it to the old history format.

Accounting For Voter Moves:  Recently, questions have come up again regarding what constitutes the three different types of moves for voters that QVF reports in the inbox and records in the voter change history.  We are offering this reprint of the explanation. 

Long Moves take voters from one city or township and puts them in another. During the transition period (about sixty days) that begins immediately after the move is entered, the voter’s record exists in the database of both the old and new jurisdiction.   The record in the new jurisdiction receives a new registration date.  The voter can vote in the old jurisdiction for up to thirty days, but the old jurisdiction cannot make any changes to the record other than AV processing and updating voting history. Registrations that are being moved to a new jurisdiction are identified by a yellow block “M” in a small green box that appears at the top of the record in the voter registration screen. At the end of the transition period the record in the old jurisdiction will disappear.

Intermediate Moves are changes of address within a jurisdiction that move a voter from one precinct or district to another. This can include changes of school district and village precinct. When a change of address within a jurisdiction is entered in the system, two records exist simultaneously through the transition period. The old record contains a yellow block “M” in the upper part of the screen. Clicking on the block “M” will take you to the new record. The record in the old district or precinct cannot be changed with the exception of AV processing and updating voting history. The record in the new district or precinct is the active record. The voter will appear on the precinct list of their old precinct or district for thirty days. After the transition period has ended the old record will disappear. The original registration date within the jurisdiction will not change.

Short Moves are changes of address within a jurisdiction that do not cause a change of district or precinct for the voter. These moves go into effect immediately and do not cause two records to exist simultaneously. The original registration date within the jurisdiction will not change.

Entering Changes of Address: When a Long Move or Intermediate Move is entered into the system either at a branch office or at a local jurisdiction, the system will calculate which precinct list the voters name will appear on based on the date of registration or the effective date of the change. While Long Moves and Intermediate Moves do not go into effect for thirty days, Short Moves go into effect immediately regardless of when they are entered.

Merges:  You will se a new category of transaction called a “Merge”.  Merging records are two records that are combined so that two different records become one record.  This occurs for different reasons:

1. Two records are found for the same person.   This type of merge is done most frequently by QVF staff who are correcting records which were not matched when the QVF was created because of missing or incomplete data submitted by cities and townships.  For instance: QVF staff find that Mary Smith, submitted by Jurisdiction A without a date of birth, is the same Mary Smith that was submitted by Jurisdiction B with a date of birth.

2. A local jurisdiction enters a new voter who is not currently registered in the jurisdiction.  The jurisdiction then replicates and the entire QVF database is searched.  If the voter is registered in another jurisdiction, the QVF system finds the match and merges the two records in the jurisdiction that has the latest registration date.

If you have any questions, please contact the QVF Help Desk at 1-800-310-5697.