Post-election Survey of Local Election Officials

OMB Control No. xxxx-xxxx
Exp: xx/xx/xx

Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP)

2012 Post-Election Quantitative
Voting Survey

2012 Post-Election Quantitative Voting Survey
The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) administers the requirements of the Uniformed
and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act of 1986 (UOCAVA). UOCAVA requires the States
and territories to allow these citizens to register and vote in elections for Federal office using
absentee voting procedures and provides the authority for the administration of Federal voting
assistance responsibilities. FVAP is collecting data to assist with program improvement and to
provide a report to Congress regarding the absentee voting process.

Table of Contents
Agency Disclosure Notice ......................................................................................................................... 1
Privacy Notice ............................................................................................................................................. 1
Important Terms and Definitions .............................................................................................................. 2
Navigating the Excel Spreadsheet .......................................................................................................... 3
Survey Questions ....................................................................................................................................... 9
Frequently Asked Questions................................................................................................................... 19

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Agency Disclosure Notice
The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to take approximately
45 minutes for Local Election Officials to two and a half hours for State Election Officials to
complete the survey per response depending on how many jurisdictions you are responsible for
reporting. This estimate includes time for reviewing the instructions, searching existing data
sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the
collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of
this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to the Department
of Defense, Executive Services Directorate (xxxx-xxxx). Respondents should be aware that
notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing
to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control
number.

Privacy Notice
This survey does not collect or use personally identifiable information and is not
retrieved by personal identifier. Therefore, the information collected is not subject to the
Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. § 552a).
This notice informs you of the purpose of the 2012 Post-Election Voting Surveys and
how the findings of these surveys will be used. Please read it carefully.
AUTHORITY: The authority to solicit the information requested in this survey is contained in the
Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act as modified by the Military and
Overseas Voter Empowerment Act, 42 United States Code, Section 1973ff, and Executive
Order 12642.
PRINCIPAL PURPOSE: This survey is conducted by the Federal Voting Assistance Program
(FVAP), which informs and educates United States citizens covered by the Uniformed and
Overseas Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). The UOCAVA covers members of the Uniformed
Services and Merchant Marines, their family members, and citizens residing outside the United
States. Reports will be provided to the President and to Congress.
ROUTINE USES: None.
DISCLOSURE: Providing information on this survey is voluntary. Depending on how many
jurisdictions you are responsible for the survey takes approximately 45 minutes to two and a half
hours to complete. There is no penalty to you or your office if you choose not to respond.
However, maximum participation is encouraged so that the data will be complete and
representative.
SURVEY ELIGIBILITY AND POTENTIAL BENEFITS: A sample of voting jurisdictions,
including the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories, were selected to participate in the
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survey. There is no direct benefit for your individual participation; however, your responses,
when taken together with the responses from all the other Election Officials, will make a
difference by helping to identify areas where the absentee voting process can be improved.
STATEMENT OF RISK: The data collection procedures are not expected to involve any risk or
discomfort to you. The only risk to you is accidental or unintentional disclosure of the data you
provide. However, the government and its contractors have a number of policies and
procedures to ensure that survey data are safe and protected. Government and contractor staff
members have been trained to protect client identity and are subject to civil penalties for
violating your confidentiality.
If you experience any difficulties taking the survey, please contact the Survey Processing
Center by sending an e-mail to [email protected] or call,
toll-free, 1-800-881-5307. If you have concerns about your rights as a research
participant, please contact the OUSD (P&R) Research Regulatory Oversight Office at 703575-2677/703-575-3536 or e-mail [email protected].
Once you submit the survey, if you desire to withdraw your answers, please notify the Survey
Processing Center prior to February 15, 2013. Please include in the e-mail or phone message
your name and Ticket Number. Unless withdrawn, partially completed survey data may be used
after that date.

Important Terms and Definitions
Questions on the survey ask you to provide total number of votes, and where applicable, may
also ask you to break down your UOCAVA voters into three population categories: Uniformed
Services – non-US, Uniformed Services – Domestic, and Overseas Civilians. This enables
FVAP to address any possible issues with the associated population and improve the voter’s
overall voting experience. Below are definitions of each population:
•

•

Uniformed Service Voter: Active Duty, Guard or Reserve service members who are
over 18 years of age and eligible to vote in U.S. elections. Services include the Army,
Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, the Commissioned Corps of the Public
Health Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Merchant
Marine.
o Uniformed Service Voter—APO/FPO/non-US Address: Absent Uniformed
Service member residing outside the United States or receiving mail directly at a
military installation or through the military postal service agency.
o Uniformed Service Voter—Domestic US Address: Uniformed Service
member residing within the United States.
Overseas Civilians: All U.S. citizens residing temporarily or living permanently abroad
who are over 18 years of age and eligible to vote in U.S. elections.

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Navigating the Excel Spreadsheet
PLEASE READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY
Go to the website http://www.drcsurveys.com/pevsurvey to download the spreadsheet and
save it to your computer.
Security Warning: When you open the excel file containing the survey, you will most likely see
a security warning (as shown below). Please enable macros. There are macros in the
spreadsheet that are designed to help you finish the survey more quickly.

Introduction Worksheet: Once the survey opens, you will see the yellow welcome screen.
Please read and follow the instructions.

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Use of Tabs/Worksheets: Note that there are several tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet.
When you are finished entering your contact information on the “Introduction” tab, click on the
next tab “Voting_Survey_Q1-8” to move on to the first set of questions in the survey. To move
between all sections of the survey, simply click on the tabs at the bottom of the screen—the
tabs are labeled with the question numbers that are presented on that worksheet (e.g.,
questions 9 and 10 are on the worksheet with the tab labeled “Q9-10_Ballots_Received”).
Please be sure to visit all five tabs to complete all survey questions.

Entering Data: After you click on the tab for questions 1 through 8, you will see the data entry
worksheet. As you enter data into the spreadsheet for each question, the cells will turn green
indicating you have answered that item.
For State Election Officials, note that the selected jurisdiction(s) are listed in
alphabetical order, along with the associated FIPS/geographic codes. Please enter the
data for each jurisdiction on the row with that jurisdiction’s name.
For Local Election Officials, your specific jurisdiction name will not be present in the
worksheet. Please add your jurisdiction name where you see “[Insert Jurisdiction
Name]” and enter the data for each question on the subsequent columns.

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What to Do If You Don't Collect Certain Data: For all questions within the survey that ask you
to enter numeric data, the following "No Data" feature is available.

No Data Feature
Some jurisdictions may not collect data in the
specific breakout that is being requested. If your
jurisdiction does not collect data for a question,
click on the corresponding drop down list and
select “No Data” for that question. The adjacent
cell where data would have been entered will
turn grey and will be locked. If you make a
mistake, select “Data” from the drop down list
and the adjacent cell will unlock and turn white
allowing you to enter data.
The default value for the Data/No Data drop
down lists is “Data”. However, occasionally no
value shows as the default. This is NOT a
problem. If you do not have data for that
question, click the cell and chose “No Data”. If
you do have data for that question, simply enter
the data into the question’s cell.
Note to States: If you are a State Election Official answering for all the listed jurisdictions in
your state and none of your jurisdictions collect data for the question, click the “No Data ALL”
checkbox at the top of the column of the question you do not collect data for.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The “No Data” feature is only to be used if the data is not collected
at all in your jurisdiction. Do not use “No Data” or “No Data ALL” options to indicate
zeroes. If your jurisdiction collects the data requested, but the answer to the question is
zero, please enter “0” for that question.

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Tips on How to Answer Questions 2 and 6

Answering Question 2:
When you click on the cell for
question 2, a drop down list will
appear. Please select either
“Yes” or “No”—please do not
leave the cell as “Y/N”.

Answering Question 6:
This question asks for a date. If you know the
exact date, simply enter it in the empty cell for
question 6.
If you only know an approximate date, click on
the cell that is labeled “Exact Date” and select
“Approximate” from the drop down list, and
enter the approximate date in the empty cell.

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Please save your work often. When saving the worksheet, Microsoft Excel 2007 and 2010
users may see the warning below. Please click "Continue". This error does not affect your
survey.

Submitting Your Completed Spreadsheet
When you are finished with all questions (1-18) for all of your jurisdictions, please go back to the
survey website (http://www.drcsurveys.com/pevsurvey) and upload your completed survey.
Please do not upload your survey until you are confident that the survey is complete and
accurate. Please keep a copy of your spreadsheet on your computer for your records.

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VOTER REGISTRATION
1. Enter the total number of persons in your jurisdiction who were registered and eligible to vote in the November 2012 General Election.
This number should represent your best calculation of the total number of people who could have cast a ballot in the election. Include active
and inactive voters, special categories of voters with extended deadlines (e.g., returning military), and any persons who may have registered to
vote on Election Day.
Voter Registration
TOTAL (all voters)

Registered and
Eligible Voters
1.

TIP: Active voters are fully eligible and have no additional processing
requirements prior to voting. Inactive voters remain eligible to vote, but require
address verification under the provisions of the National Voter Registration Act.

DEFINITION: Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) voters are members of the Uniformed Services, their
spouses and dependents who are absent from their normal voting residence, and civilians living overseas.
2. Does your jurisdiction contain any voters who were covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA)
in the November 2012 General Election?

□
□

Yes
No → There are no further questions in the survey for this voting jurisdiction

Enter the total number of registered and eligible voters in your jurisdiction who were covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens
Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) in the November 2012 General Election for the following groups. The number reported here should
include all UOCAVA voters you can identify (including both active and inactive UOCAVA voters), whether they registered and/or requested a
ballot through the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) or some other means.

Voter Registration
TOTAL (all UOCAVA voters)
Uniformed Service Voters—
APO/FPO/non-US Address
Uniformed Service Voters—
Domestic US Address
Overseas Civilians

Registered and
Eligible UOCAVA
Voters
2a.
2b.

TIP: One method for collecting the data would be to count the total
number of FPCAs received plus those who may have used a stateprescribed absentee ballot application listing an overseas or APO/FPO
address and were also treated as a UOCAVA voter. This will also assist
with distributing the classifications across the eligibility groups.

2c.
2d.

Note: Where applicable, please select “No data” on the spreadsheet for each corresponding item if you do not collect the data you are being asked to provide.

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FEDERAL POST CARD APPLICATIONS (FPCAS)
3. Enter the total number of Federal Post Card Applications (FPCAs) that your jurisdiction received in support of the 2012 General
Election for the following groups. FPCAs are Federal forms that states and local offices are required to accept from voters covered by
UOCAVA. Please provide the official count of the total number of absentee ballot requests submitted using the FPCAs that were processed for
the 2012 General Election.
FPCAs—Received
TOTAL (all UOCAVA voters)
Uniformed Service Voters—
APO/FPO/non-US Address
Uniformed Service Voters—
Domestic US Address
Overseas Civilians

TOTAL FPCAs
Received
3a.
3b.
3c.
3d.

4. Of the total number of Federal Post Card Applications (FPCAs) that your jurisdiction received (as reported in Question 3), how many
were rejected for the following groups? Rejected FPCAs are those that did not meet the full eligibility requirements for triggering the
transmission of a blank ballot and/or the registration of the individual. Reasons might include missing information, lack of signature, missed
deadlines, or overall ineligibility.
FPCAs—Rejected
TOTAL (all UOCAVA voters)
Uniformed Service Voters—
APO/FPO/non-US Address
Uniformed Service Voters—
Domestic US Address
Overseas Civilians

TOTAL FPCAs
Rejected
4a.
4b.
4c.
4d.

Note: Where applicable, please select “No data” on the spreadsheet for each corresponding item if you do not collect the data you are being asked to provide.

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5. Of the total number of Federal Post Card Applications (FPCAs) that your jurisdiction rejected (as reported in Question 4), how many
were rejected because they were received after your jurisdiction’s absentee ballot request deadline? Please tell us how many FPCAs
were rejected because they missed a deadline, either in terms of qualifying for a full ballot (as a temporary registration) or failing to meet the
qualification deadline for receiving any ballot.
FPCAs—Rejected
TOTAL (all UOCAVA voters)

FPCAs Rejected
After Deadline
5.

UOCAVA ABSENTEE BALLOT TRANSMISSION
DEFINITION: The Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (MOVE Act) requires a mailing date of 45 days prior to the election for
transmitting ballots to military and overseas voters on record as requesting a ballot for the election. For many states and jurisdictions the
ballots may have been transmitted earlier.
6. Enter the date that your jurisdiction first began transmitting regular absentee ballots to UOCAVA voters for the November 2012
General Election. Please provide the exact date your jurisdiction began mailing the ballots. If you do not know the exact date, please enter an
approximate date and select “Approximate” on the spreadsheet.
Month

Day

Approximate Date?

□

Note: Where applicable, please select “No data” on the spreadsheet for each corresponding item if you do not collect the data you are being asked to provide.

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7. How many UOCAVA absentee ballots did your jurisdiction transmit to UOCAVA voters using the following modes of transmission,
before and after the 45-day deadline? FVAP is interested in identifying, particularly over time, the way UOCAVA voters receive their ballots.
This question refers to the way ballots are actually transmitted to the voter, not the way the requests for the ballots were received by your office.
TIPS:
• The term “postal” applies to all balloting materials shipped from your office using the USPS or any private courier shipping services (e.g.,
FedEx, UPS, and DHL).
• Please note the distinction in the options between ballots transmitted via e-mail (usually as an attachment) and those transmitted through
a Web-based online tool.
• This question requests a breakdown of the number of ballots transmitted before and after the 45-day deadline. This will assist FVAP with
identifying overall patterns in the number of ballots that are received early or arrive close to the election.
TOTAL
Transmitted

Ballots—Transmitted
TOTAL (all UOCAVA voters)
SENT BEFORE the 45-Day
Deadline
SENT AFTER the 45-Day
Deadline

Postal Mail

Fax

E-mail

Online tool

7a.

7a1.

7a2.

7a3.

7a4.

7b.

7b1.

7b2.

7b3.

7b4.

7c.

7c1.

7c2.

7c3.

7c4.

8. Of the total number of UOCAVA absentee ballots that your jurisdiction transmitted (as reported in Question 7), how many
were returned as undeliverable by the following modes of transmission? Ballots returned as undeliverable are returned by the Postal
Service either because the recipient has moved or the address was incorrect. Only ballots designated by the Postal Service as undeliverable
should be included in the numbers reported here.
Ballots—Returned
TOTAL (all UOCAVA voters)

TOTAL Returned
as Undeliverable
8a.

Postal Mail
8a1.

Fax
8a2.

E-mail
8a3.

Online tool
8a4.

Note: Where applicable, please select “No data” on the spreadsheet for each corresponding item if you do not collect the data you are being asked to provide.

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UOCAVA ABSENTEE BALLOTS RECEIVED
DEFINITION: Received ballots are ballots that are returned by the voter to the election office, regardless of whether those ballots are
ultimately counted.
9. How many UOCAVA absentee ballots were received by your jurisdiction in support of the 2012 General Election? Exclude Federal
Write-In Absentee Ballots (FWABs) from your totals.
Ballots—Received
TOTAL (all UOCAVA voters)
Uniformed Service Voters—
APO/FPO/non-US Address
Uniformed Service Voters—
Domestic US Address
Overseas Civilians

TOTAL Ballots
Received
9a.
9b.
9c.
9d.

10. How many UOCAVA absentee ballots were received using the following modes of transmission, before and after the 45-day deadline?
Exclude Federal Write-In Absentee Ballots (FWABs) from your totals. Note: The total entered in 10a should be the same number entered in 9a.
Ballots—Received
TOTAL (all UOCAVA voters)
SENT BEFORE the 45-Day
Deadline
SENT AFTER the 45-Day
Deadline

TOTAL Received

Postal Mail

Fax

E-mail

Online tool

10a.

10a1.

10a2.

10a3.

10a4.

10b.

10b1.

10b2.

10b3.

10b4.

10c.

10c1.

10c2.

10c3.

10c4.

Note: Where applicable, please select “No data” on the spreadsheet for each corresponding item if you do not collect the data you are being asked to provide.

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UOCAVA ABSENTEE BALLOTS REJECTED
11. Of the total number of UOCAVA absentee ballots that your jurisdiction received (as reported in Question 9), how many were rejected
for the following groups? Rejected ballots are ballots that were received by the local election office, but were rejected due to a failure to meet
statutory deadlines or criteria (e.g., signatures did not match, ballot received after statutory deadline, ballot already on file, etc.). Exclude
Federal Write-In Absentee Ballots (FWABs) from your totals.
Ballots—Rejected
TOTAL (all UOCAVA voters)
Uniformed Service Voters—
APO/FPO/non-US Address
Uniformed Service Voters—
Domestic US Address
Overseas Civilians

TOTAL Ballots
Rejected
11a.
11b.
11c.
11d.

12. Of the total number of UOCAVA absentee ballots that were rejected in your jurisdiction (as reported in Question 11), how many
were rejected because they were received after the statutory deadline by the following modes of transmission, before and after the 45day deadline? FVAP is interested in identifying, particularly over time, the way UOCAVA voters receive and return their ballots. This question
refers to the way ballots are received and rejected because they were received after the State ballot receipt deadline. Exclude Federal Write-In
Absentee Ballots (FWABs) from your totals.
TIP: UOCAVA requires election officials to transmit blank ballots 45 days prior to a Federal election to any UOCAVA voter who has previously
requested an absentee ballot for that election.

Ballots—Rejected

TOTAL (all UOCAVA voters)
SENT BEFORE the 45-Day
Deadline
SENT AFTER the 45-Day
Deadline

TOTAL Rejected
Because Received
After the Statutory
Deadline

Postal Mail

Fax

E-mail

Online tool

12a.

12a1.

12a2.

12a3.

12a4.

12b.

12b1.

12b2.

12b3.

12b4.

12c.

12c1.

12c2.

12c3.

12c4.

Note: Where applicable, please select “No data” on the spreadsheet for each corresponding item if you do not collect the data you are being asked to provide.

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UOCAVA ABSENTEE BALLOTS COUNTED
13. How many UOCAVA absentee ballots were counted in your jurisdiction by the following modes of transmission, before and after the
45-day deadline? A counted ballot is a ballot that was reviewed for conformance and transmitted to counting teams for acceptance. This is an
assessment on the overall acceptance of these ballots, not an assessment on voter intent of the returned ballots. Exclude Federal Write-In
Absentee Ballots (FWABs) from your totals.
Ballots—Counted
TOTAL (all UOCAVA voters)
SENT BEFORE the 45-Day
Deadline
SENT AFTER the 45-Day
Deadline

TOTAL Counted

Postal Mail

Fax

E-mail

Online tool

13a.

13a1.

13a2.

13a3.

13a4.

13b.

13b1.

13b2.

13b3.

13b4.

13c.

13c1.

13c2.

13c3.

13c4.

FEDERAL WRITE-IN ABSENTEE BALLOTS (FWABS)
DEFINITION: Federal Write-In Absentee Ballots (FWABs) are, according to UOCAVA, write-in ballots created for citizens who “have made
a timely application for, but have not received their regular ballot from the state or territory, subject to certain conditions.” The FWAB is an
official form prescribed by the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP).
14. Enter the total number of Federal Write-In Absentee Ballots (FWABs) received from UOCAVA voters in your jurisdiction for the
following groups. As an FVAP-prescribed form, this question will determine the overall effectiveness and usage of this form as an emergency
backup ballot.
FWABs—Received
TOTAL (all UOCAVA voters)
Uniformed Service Voters—
APO/FPO/non-US Address
Uniformed Service Voters—
Domestic US Address
Overseas Civilians

TOTAL FWABs
Received
14a.
14b.
14c.
14d.

Note: Where applicable, please select “No data” on the spreadsheet for each corresponding item if you do not collect the data you are being asked to provide.

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15. Of the total number of Federal Write-In Absentee Ballots (FWABs) received from UOCAVA voters in your jurisdiction (as reported in
Question 14), how many were rejected for the following groups? Rejected FWABs are ballots that are rejected due to information that is
incomplete or does not comply with state law based on the information presented on the outside of the returned envelope. Please exclude
those FWABs that were rejected, or not processed, due to the return of the official ballot from the voter. This is an assessment on the overall
acceptance of these ballots, not an assessment on voter intent of the returned ballots.
FWABs—Rejected
TOTAL (all UOCAVA voters)
Uniformed Service Voters—
APO/FPO/non-US Address
Uniformed Service Voters—
Domestic US Address
Overseas Civilians

TOTAL FWABs
Rejected
15a.
15b.
15c.
15d.

16. Of the total number of Federal Write-In Absentee Ballots (FWABs) received from UOCAVA voters in your jurisdiction that were
rejected (as reported in Question 15), how many were rejected because they were received after the ballot receipt deadline? This
question refers to those ballots that were rejected because they were received after the State-prescribed deadline for the acceptance of FWABs.
FWABs—Rejected
TOTAL (all UOCAVA voters)

Rejected After
Deadline
16.

17. Of the total number of Federal Write-In Absentee Ballots (FWABs) received from UOCAVA voters in your jurisdiction that were
rejected (as reported in Question 15), how many were rejected because the voter’s regular absentee ballot was received and counted?
Some voters can receive a regular absentee ballot because they requested one through regular channels or because they filled out a FWAB.
This question refers to ballots that were received as a result of a FWAB request and that were rejected, or not processed, because that same
voter sent another ballot in by “regular” absentee channels.
FWABs—Rejected
TOTAL (all UOCAVA voters)

Regular Ballot
Already Received
and Counted
17.

Note: Where applicable, please select “No data” on the spreadsheet for each corresponding item if you do not collect the data you are being asked to provide.

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18. Enter the total number of Federal Write-In Absentee Ballots (FWABs) received from UOCAVA voters that were counted in your
jurisdiction for the following groups. A counted FWAB is a ballot that was reviewed for conformance and transmitted to counting teams for
acceptance. This is an assessment on the overall acceptance of these ballots, not an assessment on voter intent of the returned ballots.
FWABs—Counted
TOTAL (all UOCAVA voters)
Uniformed Service Voters—
APO/FPO/non-US Address
Uniformed Service Voters—
Domestic US Address
Overseas Civilians

TOTAL FWABs
Counted
18a.
18b.
18c.
18d.

Note: Where applicable, please select “No data” on the spreadsheet for each corresponding item if you do not collect the data you are being asked to provide.

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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of this survey?
This survey is sponsored by the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), a program office
within the Department of Defense. It is being administered by the Defense Manpower Data
Center (DMDC), another Department of Defense agency. The purpose of this survey is to
collect data from the local election offices in regards to the absentee balloting process during
the 2012 General Election.
Why is this survey being conducted?
The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) administers the requirements of the Uniformed
and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act of 1986 (UOCAVA). UOCAVA requires the States
and territories to allow members of the Uniformed Services and citizens living overseas to
register and vote in elections for Federal office using absentee voting procedures. FVAP is
collecting data to assist with program improvement and to provide a report to Congress
regarding the absentee voting process.
What is the survey used for, and why are my responses important?
Under federal law, the Federal Voting Assistance Program is required to conduct an
assessment on the voting participation rates for military and overseas civilian voters to
determine the effectiveness of its efforts. The FVAP uses the data it collects in multiple ways,
including:
 Tailoring its programs and focusing its resources to best aid military and overseas
civilian voters and their dependents to register to vote, receive ballots in a timely fashion,
and cast those ballots in a secure and reliable way.
 Understanding the experiences of these voters and the local election offices so that
FVAP can seek solutions to the obstacles that both face in voter registration and
absentee ballot process.
 Providing reliable data to policy makers, advocates, scholars and the general public.
I already completed a similar survey for the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC).
Some of the questions appear similar. Why do I have to complete the FVAP survey?
FVAP and the EAC are working together to integrate their data collections starting in 2014. In
the meantime, FVAP modified its 2012 survey to reduce burden wherever possible. FVAP’s
survey differs significantly from the EAC survey as it asks for more information on the specific
elements of the UOCAVA population as well as the effectiveness of the 45-day mailing
requirement for absentee ballots.

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Am I required to complete it?
Unlike the EAC survey, states are not required to report UOCAVA data to the federal
government. However, in order to fulfill its federal mandate, FVAP must collect data from states
and/or local elections officials.
What should I do if I cannot provide complete answers?
We understand that not all states or local offices collect data in the way requested by the
survey. Please provide as much data as you can. This might involve providing totals where
breakdowns are not available. In short, we want as much data as you can provide.
Why is some of the information broken down into before- and after- the 45-day deadline
for transmitting ballots?
FVAP understands that some ballots transmitted by election offices have little chance of being
returned because they are requested very late in the election cycle. In order to better
understand which ballots are returned, FVAP is collecting data on ballots transmitted before the
federally-mandated MOVE Act 45-day deadline and those that are transmitted afterwards.
What should I do if I have questions about completing the survey?
FVAP is here to help. For questions regarding completion of the survey, please contact the
Survey Processing Center at 1-800-881-5307 or send an e-mail to
[email protected]. For questions regarding the content of the
survey, please contact FVAP directly by emailing [email protected] or calling 1-800-438-VOTE
(8683).
Where can I go for more information or more assistance in completing the survey?
FVAP and DMDC have developed detailed instructions that might help clarify each question. If
you need additional help, please contact FVAP directly by emailing [email protected] or calling 1800-438-VOTE (8683).

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