Response to TOC - 2010 (FVAP)

U. S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
1225 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC. 20005

May 5, 2010
Dear Mr. Carey:
I would like to take the opportunity to formally offer the Federal Voting Assistance Program
(FVAP) an opportunity to begin early dialog with the Election Assistance Commission (EAC)
around the 2012 survey. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) acknowledged the
improvement in the quality and completeness of the EAC’s 2008 survey data. It is my hope that
we will continue to see such improvements for 2010 and beyond.
As a way of reducing the data submission burden on States, I would like for our agencies to
continue discussions around the overlap between our two surveys on questions related to
UOCAVA voting.
At the time of our agencies’ last in-person meeting in January, FVAP’s 2010 survey questions
had not been developed. Once developed, EAC requests that staff receive a copy of the specific
UOCAVA survey questions FVAP will ask of States for the 2010 election.
Additionally, EAC Chair Davidson asked during a conference call in March that FVAP provide
EAC with potential questions for inclusion in its 2012 survey by July 2010. EAC’s statutory
boards have requested that the survey be available two years before the next Federal election.
Starting our conversations early will allow EAC and FVAP to work together on which questions
to include in the UOCAVA section of the 2012 survey. All information can be forwarded to
Karen Lynn-Dyson and Shelly Anderson in the EAC Research, Policy and Programs Division.
Please feel free to contact me should you have questions about any of the information noted
above. I look forward to future collaboration around State UOCAVA data collection.
Sincerely,

Thomas R. Wilkey
cc:

Alex Hunt, Branch Chief of Information Policy
Office of Management and Budget