EAC Study on First-Time Voters Who Register to Vote by Mail

Forms and Documents

Document Name	Status
Form EAC-RS03 EAC First-Time Voters Who Register to Vote by Mail - Focus Groups Form and Instruction	New
First-Time Voters - Supporting Statement A.doc Supporting Statement A	2006-11-15

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Document Title	Status
46028	EAC First-Time Voters Who Register to Vote by Mail - Focus Groups Form and Instruction	New

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 3265-0007	ICR Reference No: 200611-3265-002
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No:
Agency/Subagency: EAC	Agency Tracking No:
Title: EAC Study on First-Time Voters Who Register to Vote by Mail
Type of Information Collection: New collection (Request for a new OMB Control Number)	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Emergency	Approval Requested By: 11/29/2006
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 11/30/2006
	Date Received in OIRA: 11/15/2006
Terms of Clearance:

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	05/31/2007	6 Months From Approved
Responses	30	0	0
Time Burden (Hours)	68	0	0
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

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Abstract: The proposed information collection is necessary to meet requirements of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15301). Section 244 of HAVA requires the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to conduct a study of the effects of HAVA §303(b) on (1) first-time mail registrants who vote in person, (2) voter registration, (3) the accuracy of voter rolls, and (4) existing state practices. Upon completion of the study, the EAC is required to submit a report to the President and Congress on the study together with such recommendations for administrative and legislative action as the EAC determines appropriate.

Emergency Justfication: The EAC is requesting an emergency review of the information collection referenced below. In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13), the EAC has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) the following requirements for emergency review. The EAC is requesting an emergency review because the collection of this information is needed before the expiration of the normal time limits under OMB's regulations at 5 CFR Part 1320(a)(2)(ii). The information collection at issue is necessary in order to conduct a study required by Section 244 of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 on the effects of Section 303(b) of HAVA on 1) first-time mail registrants who vote in person, 2) voter registration, 3) the accuracy of voter rolls, and 4) existing state practices. Upon completion of this study, the EAC is required to submit a report to the President and Congress on the study together with such recommendations for administrative and legislative actions as the EAC determines appropriate; this report was due no later than 18 months after the date on which Section 303(b)(2) took effect. The study will take approximately nine (9) months to complete, at which time there will be approximately one (1) year until the 2008 Federal elections. Ensuring that this information is available to election administrators and policymakers in time to be of use for the 2008 Election Cycle is essential to the public welfare. In addition, statistical analyses on respondent behavior to voluntary surveys have shown that the interest level of potential respondents, and thus the response rate, drops dramatically as time passes after the event in question, which in this case, is the respondents’ interaction and experience with the electoral system during the General Election of 2006. It is a well documented fact that respondents tend to forget or don’t adequately recollect processes as time passes. The validity of the data will greatly suffer if the collection commences much after Election Day. The EAC cannot reasonably comply with the normal clearance procedures because failure to implement this study in an expedited fashion is reasonably likely to prevent or disrupt the collection, as stated in 5 CFR 1320.13(a)(2)(i), and further extend the deadline established in HAVA for this study.

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 42 USC 15301 Name of Law: Help America Vote Act of 2002
  

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments

Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 1

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
EAC First-Time Voters Who Register to Vote by Mail - Focus Groups	EAC-RS03, EAC-RS04	First-Time Voters - Focus Group Quiz ,   First-Time Voters - Focus Group Script

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ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	30	0	0	30	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	68	0	0	68	0	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: This is a new collection.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $84,624

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Is the Supporting Statement intended to be a Privacy Impact Assessment required by the E-Government Act of 2002? Yes

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? Uncollected

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? Uncollected

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? Uncollected

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? Uncollected

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Common Form ICR:  No

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On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:

(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;

(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;

(c) It reduces burden on small entities;

(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;

(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;

(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;

(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

(i) Why the information is being collected;

(ii) Use of information;

(iii) Burden estimate;

(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);

(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and

(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;

(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and

(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.

If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.

Certification Date: 11/15/2006

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