The Omnibus Appropriation Act for
Fiscal Year (FY) 2008, Public Law (P.L.) 110-161, Title V,
authorizes the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to award
$10,000,000 in grants to States to implement a data collection
program for the Federal elections scheduled to be held in November
2008. Of that sum, $2 million will be provided to each of five
eligible applicants. The EAC is soliciting proposals from States to
improve the collection of data at the precinct-level for the
November 2008 Federal elections. The purpose of the Election Data
Collection Grant Program is to: Develop and document a series of
administrative and procedural best practices in election data
collection that can be replicated by other States; Improve data
collection processes; Enhance the capacity of States and their
jurisdictions to collect accurate and complete election data; and
Document and describe particular administrative and management data
collection practices, as well as particular data collection
policies and procedures. State grantees will use the grant funds in
part to implement new data collection procedures, systems, and/or
methodologies for the November 2008 election. They will have until
March 2009 to report the data collected from that election to the
EAC. Not later than June 30, 2009, the EAC will submit a report to
Congress on the impact of the grant program on States ability to
effectively collect Federal precinct-level election data.
On December 22, 2007,
Congress authorized the Omnibus Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year
2008. Public Law 110-161 authorized the U.S. Election Assistance
Commission (the EAC or the Commission) to award $10 million in
grants to States to implement a data collection program for Federal
elections scheduled to be held in November 2008. Under the
Administrative Provision of the Act (Section 501), not later than
March 30, 2008 the EAC shall establish an election data collection
grant program (in this text heretofore referred to as the
program) to provide a grant of $2 million to each of five
eligible States to improve the collection of precinct-level data
relating to the November 2008 Federal elections. Under Section C,
Timing of Grants; Availability, Section 1 declares the
Commission shall award grants under the program to eligible States
not later than 60 days after the date on which the Commission
establishes the program. Given these specifications and the
timelines that Congress requires for the implementation of this
grant program, the EAC is requesting that the OMB Clearance process
be expedited. The Commission believes it is valuable and important
to have public comment on the Election Data Collection Grant
Program Request for Application, as well as on the particular data
elements that the State grantees will be required to collect. As
such, the Commission has allowed for a 10-day public comment
period. This period allows time for the public and the agencys key
stakeholders to review the Request for Application while still
allowing the Commission to meet its statutory deadline for
advertising the grant program by March 30, 2008.
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:
(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;
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.
RFA Grant Program-FINAL.doc
Election Data Collection Grant Program