[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 226 (Monday, November 29, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67694-67695]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-26004]


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ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, 
and Approvals; 2022 Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS)

AGENCY: U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
EAC announces an information collection and seeks public comment on the 
provisions thereof. The EAC intends to submit this proposed information 
collection (2022 Election Administration and Voting Survey, or EAVS) to 
the Director of the Office of Management and Budget for approval. The 
2022 EAVS asks election officials questions concerning voting and 
election administration, including the following topics: Voter 
registration; overseas and military voting; voting by mail; early in-
person voting; polling operations; provisional voting; voter 
participation; election technology; election policy; and other related 
issues.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before January 28, 
2022.
    Comments: Public comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of 
the burden of the proposed information collection; (c) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; 
and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on 
respondents, including through the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments on the proposed information collection should be submitted 
electronically via https://www.regulations.gov (docket ID: EAC-2021-
0002). Written comments on the proposed information collection can also 
be sent to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 633 3rd Street NW, 
Suite 200, Washington, DC 20001, Attn: EAVS.
    Obtaining a Copy of the Survey: To obtain a free copy of the draft 
survey instrument: (1) Download a copy at https://www.regulations.gov 
(docket ID: EAC-2021-0002); or (2) write to the EAC (including your 
address and phone number) at U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 633 
3rd Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20001, Attn: EAVS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Nichelle Williams at 301-563-3919, 
or email [email protected]; U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 633 3rd 
Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title and OMB Number: 2022 Election Administration and Voting 
Survey; OMB Number Pending.

Needs and Uses

    The EAC issues the EAVS to meet its obligations under the Help 
America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) to serve as a national clearinghouse 
and resource for

[[Page 67695]]

the compilation of information with respect to the administration of 
Federal elections; to fulfill both the EAC and the Department of 
Defense Federal Voting Assistance Program's (FVAP) data collection 
requirements under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting 
Act (UOCAVA); and meet its National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) 
mandate to collect information from states concerning the impact of 
that statute on the administration of Federal elections. In addition, 
under the NVRA, the EAC is responsible for collecting information and 
reporting, biennially, to Congress on the impact of that statute. The 
information the states are required to submit to the EAC for purposes 
of the NVRA report are found under Title 11 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations. States that respond to questions in this survey concerning 
voter registration-related matters will meet their NVRA reporting 
requirements under 52 U.S.C. 20508 and EAC regulations. Finally, UOCAVA 
mandates that FVAP work with the EAC and chief state election officials 
to develop standards for reporting UOCAVA voting information (52 U.S.C. 
20302) and that FVAP will store the reported data and present the 
findings within the congressionally-mandated report to the President 
and Congress. Additionally, UOCAVA requires that ``not later than 90 
days after the date of each regularly scheduled general election for 
Federal office, each state and unit of local government which 
administered the election shall (through the state, in the case of a 
unit of local government) submit a report to the EAC on the combined 
number of absentee ballots transmitted to absent uniformed services 
voters and overseas voters for the election and the combined number of 
such ballots which were returned by such voters and cast in the 
election, and shall make such a report available to the general 
public.'' States that complete and timely submit the UOCAVA section of 
the survey to the EAC will fulfill their UOCAVA reporting requirement 
under 52 U.S.C. 20302. In order to fulfill the above requirements, the 
EAC is seeking information relating to the period from the Federal 
general election day 2020 +1 through the November 2022 Federal general 
election. The EAC will provide the data regarding UOCAVA voting to FVAP 
after data collection is completed. This data sharing reduces burden on 
local election offices because FVAP does not have to conduct its own 
data collection to meet its reporting requirements.
    Affected Public (Respondents): State or local governments, the 
District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana 
Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
    Affected Public: State or local government.
    Number of Respondents: 56.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Burden per Response: 235 hours per collection, 117.5 
hours annualized.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 13,160 hours per collection, 
6,580 hours annualized.
    Frequency: Biennially.
* * * * *

Nichelle Williams,
Director of Research, U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
[FR Doc. 2021-26004 Filed 11-26-21; 8:45 am]
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