2016 Post-Election Voting Survey of State Election Officials

2016 Post-Election Voting Survey of State Election Officials

Note to OMB: Questionnaire is preceded by the draft screenshots on the “Webscreens” document which contains the Agency Disclosure Notice and Privacy Act Statement.

Ticket Number

FVAP Products and Services

The first section of this survey will ask about your experience using five different Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) products and services in 2016.

On the next page, please read the following descriptions of these FVAP products and services carefully. You can reference these descriptions during the survey by using the links at the bottom of your screen.

FVAP.gov

Provides customized, voting-related information and resources for all Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) voters and election officials. FVAP.gov supplies State-specific election information, including dates, deadlines and contact information that voters can rely on to adhere to their State’s absentee voting process. Other products and services, such as the election official online training module, are available at FVAP.gov.

Staff Support

FVAP staff is available to provide support to election officials, including voting information, voter outreach materials and State-specific updates that can be communicated with voters. FVAP staff can be reached by email at [email protected] or by using a toll-free telephone service.

State Affairs Specialists

These specialists work closely with election officials and States on legislation and regulations related to UOCAVA voters. Their goal is to strengthen the relationship between States and FVAP. They are the primary FVAP point of contact for State election officials (SEO) and local election officials (LEO). These specialists provide UOCAVA training and conference briefs. They are also available to answer questions on UOCAVA policy, election official best practices and UOCAVA-related problems.

Address Look-Up Service

Election officials can contact FVAP when a ballot sent to a military Service member is returned and FVAP will attempt to find the member’s current address information.

Election Official (EO) Online Training

A short, interactive course created for election officials. It provides information on UOCAVA-related laws, clarifies the absentee voting process, and includes an overview of FVAP’s role in assisting your office with UOCAVA voters.

Item #: Q1

QAW. In 2016, was your office aware of the following FVAP products or services? Mark “Yes” or “No” for each item.

Variable Name	Variable Text	Variable Label
QAWWEB	FVAP.gov	Q1a: FVAP.gov awareness
QAWSTF	FVAP staff support	Q1b: FVAP staff support awareness
QAWSAS	FVAP State affairs specialists	Q1c: FVAP State affairs specialist awareness
QAWADD	FVAP address look-up service	Q1d: FVAP address look-up service awareness
QAWTRN	FVAP EO online training	Q1e: FVAP EO online training

Value	Value Label
2	Yes
1	No

Item #: Q2

QUSE. In 2016, did your office use any of the following FVAP products or services? Mark “Yes” or “No” for each item.

Variable Name	Variable Text	Variable Label
QUSEWEB	FVAP.gov	Q2a: FVAP.gov use
QUSESAS	FVAP State affairs specialists	Q2b: FVAP State affairs specialist use
QUSEADD	FVAP address look-up service	Q2c: FVAP address look-up service use
QUSETRN	FVAP EO online training	Q2d: FVAP EO online training use

Value	Value Label
2	Yes
1	No

Item #: Q3

QSAT. How satisfied was your office with the following FVAP products or services?

Variable Name	Variable Text	Variable Label
QSATWEB	FVAP.gov	Q3a: FVAP.gov satisfaction
QSATSAS	FVAP State affairs specialists	Q3b: FVAP State affairs specialist satisfaction
QSATADD	FVAP address look-up service	Q3c: FVAP address look-up service satisfaction
QSATTRN	FVAP EO online training	Q3d: FVAP EO online training satisfaction

Value	Value Label
5	Very satisfied
4	Satisfied
3	Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
2	Dissatisfied
1	Very dissatisfied

Item #: Q3sp

QSATSP: Please explain why you were not satisfied with the following products or services from FVAP:

Item #: Q4

QREF. In 2016, did your office refer any local election officials (LEO) to the following FVAP products or services? Mark “Yes” or “No” for each item.

Variable Name	Variable Text	Variable Label
QREFWEB	FVAP.gov	Q4a: FVAP.gov referred LEO
QREFSTF	FVAP staff support	Q4b: FVAP staff support referred LEO
QREFSAS	FVAP State affairs specialists	Q4c: FVAP State affairs specialist referred LEO
QREFADD	FVAP address look-up service	Q4d: FVAP ALUS referred LEO
QREFTRN	FVAP EO online training	Q4e: FVAP EO online training referred LEO

Value	Value Label
2	Yes
1	No

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FVAP.gov

Item #: Q5

QWEBNOT: In 2016, what was the main reason your office did not share information about FVAP.gov with local election officials (LEO)?

Value	Value Label
1	Did not believe FVAP.gov offered the assistance LEOs needed
2	Did not believe FVAP.gov offered accurate information
3	LEOs received comparable assistance from another resource
4	LEOs did not need assistance or information available on FVAP.gov
5	Some other reason

Item #: Q5sp

QWEBNOTSP: Please specify how we can improve FVAP.gov.

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FVAP Staff Support

Item #: Q6

QSTFRE. In 2016, did your office refer FVAP staff support to local election officials for any of the following reasons? Mark “Yes” or “No” for each item.

Variable Name	Variable Text	Variable Label
QSTFREA	To request FVAP voting supplies or outreach materials	Q6a: Request voting supplies
QSTFREB	To receive information about training and/or other FVAP resources	Q6b: Receive training or resources
QSTFREC	To resolve a problem for a local election official	Q6c: Resolve LEO problem
QSTFRED	To suggest changes to FVAP publications or programs	Q6d: Suggest FVAP changes
QSTFREE	To update contact information for a local election office	Q6e: Update LEO contact info
QSTFREF	To obtain clarification about UOCAVA laws	Q6f: Obtain UOCAVA clarification
QSTFREG	Some other reason	Q6g: Some other reason

Value	Value Label
2	Yes
1	No

Item #: Q6sp

QSTFRESP: Please specify the other reason(s) your office contacted FVAP staff in 2016.

Item #: Q7

QSTFNOT: In 2016, what was the main reason your office did not refer local election officials (LEO) to FVAP staff support for assistance?

Value	Value Label
1	Did not believe FVAP staff offered the assistance LEOs needed
2	Did not believe FVAP staff offered accurate information
3	Did not believe FVAP staff provided timely responses
4	LEOs received comparable assistance from another resource
5	LEOs did not need assistance or information from FVAP staff
6	Some other reason

Item #: Q7sp

QSTFNOTSP: Please specify how we can improve the assistance provided by FVAP staff support.

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FVAP Policy and Research

Item #: Q8

QSASCON: In 2016, did your office contact FVAP State affairs specialists for any of the following reasons? Mark “Yes” or “No” for each item.

Variable Name	Variable Text	Variable Label
QSASCONA	To coordinate in-person FVAP training or a conference presentation	Q8a: Coordinate in-person training or presentation
QSASCONB	To coordinate changes to your State’s voting procedure information listed on FVAP.gov	Q8b: Change FVAP.gov State info
QSASCONC	To resolve a problem for a local election official	Q8c: Resolve problem for LEO
QSASCOND	To discuss State UOCAVA-related legislative or regulatory changes	Q8d: Discuss legislative changes
QSASCONE	To obtain clarification about UOCAVA laws	Q8e: Obtain UOCAVA clarification
QSASCONF	Some other reason	Q8f: Some other reason

Value	Value Label
2	Yes
1	No

Item #: Q8sp

QSASCONSP: Please specify the other reason(s) your office contacted FVAP State affairs specialists in 2016.

Item #: Q9

QSASP: During 2016, did your office use any of the following FVAP policy-related products? Mark “Yes” or “No” for each item.

Variable Name	Variable Text	Variable Label
QSASPA	Public policy papers	Q9a: Public policy papers
QSASPB	FVAP research (e.g., Post-Election Survey or comparisons of military and civilian voting rates)	Q9b: FVAP research
QSASPC	FVAP congressional reports	Q9c: Congressional reports
QSASPD	Monthly EO newsletter	Q9d: EO newsletter

Value	Value Label
2	Yes
1	No

Item #: Q10

QSASPUSF: How useful were the following FVAP policy-related products? Mark one answer for each statement.

Variable Name	Variable Text	Variable Label
QSASPUSFA	Public policy papers	Q10a: Public policy papers useful
QSASPUSFB	FVAP research (e.g., Post-Election Survey or comparisons of military and civilian voting rates)	Q10b: FVAP research useful
QSASPUSFC	FVAP congressional reports	Q10c: Congressional reports useful
QSASPUSFD	Monthly EO newsletter	Q10d: EO newsletter useful

Value	Value Label
4	Very useful
3	Useful
2	Somewhat useful
1	Not useful

Item #: Q11

QFACT: FVAP may distribute a State-specific UOCAVA fact sheet of voting statistics intended for State and local election officials. How useful would each of the following items be for your office? Mark one answer for each statement.

Variable Name	Variable Text	Variable Label
QFAQUSFA	State-specific UOCAVA voter demographics	Q11a: State UOCAVA demographics
QFAQUSFB	State-specific post-election survey data	Q11b: State post-election data
QFAQUSFC	State voting dates and deadlines	Q11c: State voting deadlines
QFAQUSFD	Accepted modes of transmission for ballots, FPCAs and FWABs	Q11d: Modes of transmission
QFAQUSFE	State maps with voter jurisdiction statistics	Q11e: Jurisdiction map

Value	Value Label
4	Very useful
3	Useful
2	Somewhat useful
1	Not useful

Item #: Q12

QVAG: FVAP publishes the Voting Assistance Guide (VAG) every election cycle. In 2015, did someone in your office use the FVAP.gov portal to log in and suggest edits to your State’s election voting procedure information?

Value	Value Label
2	Yes
1	No

Item #: Q13

QVAGUSF: How useful was the FVAP.gov portal for updating your State’s Voting Assistance Guide (VAG)-related information?

Value	Value Label
4	Very useful
3	Useful
2	Somewhat useful
1	Not useful

Item #: Q14

QRESTOP: FVAP conducts periodic research on important election topics. On what policy topic(s) would you most want FVAP to disseminate new research?

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FVAP Address Look-Up Service

Item #: Q15

QADDNOT: In 2016, what was the main reason your office did not refer local election officials (LEO) to the FVAP address look-up service for assistance?

Value	Value Label
1	Did not believe the FVAP address look-up service offered the assistance LEOs needed
2	Did not believe the FVAP address look-up service offered accurate information
3	Did not believe the FVAP address look-up service provided timely responses
4	LEOs received comparable assistance from another resource
5	LEOs did not need assistance or information from the FVAP address look-up service
6	Some other reason

Item #: Q15sp

QADDNOTSP: Please specify how we can improve the FVAP address look-up service.

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FVAP Election Official (EO) Online Training

Item #: Q16

QTRNNOT: In 2016, what was the main reason your office did not refer the FVAP EO online training to local election officials (LEO)?

Value	Value Label
1	Did not believe FVAP offered training on the information LEOs needed
2	Did not believe the training included accurate information
3	LEOs received comparable training from another resource
4	LEOs did not need any training
5	Some other reason

Item #: Q16sp

QTRNNOTSP: Please specify how we can improve the FVAP EO online training.

The following questions ask for your opinion on current and new training topics that FVAP may offer for local election officials.

Item #: Q17

QTRNTUSF. How useful would the following training topics be to local election officials in your State? Mark one answer for each statement.

Variable Name	Variable Text	Variable Label
QTRNTUSFA	Common problems UOCAVA voters may experience when trying to vote	Q17a: Common voter problems
QTRNTUSFB	Responsibilities of military voting assistance officers (VAO)	Q17b: VAO responsibilities
QTRNTUSFC	Common reasons FPCAs and FWABs are rejected	Q17c: FPCA and FWAB rejection
QTRNTUSFD	Best practices for mailing and emailing election materials to UOCAVA voters	Q17d: Mailing and emailing materials
QTRNTUSFE	State legislative activities and trends	Q17e: State legislative activities
QTRNTUSFF	FVAP’s products and services	Q17f: FVAP products and services
QTRNTUSFG	Overview of UOCAVA laws and regulations	Q17g: UOCAVA laws
QTRNTUSFH	FVAP’s Voting Assistance Guide (VAG)	Q17h: FVAP VAG
QTRNTUSFI	Overview of the military UOCAVA population and demographics	Q17i: Military UOCAVA pop

Value	Value Label
4	Very useful
3	Useful
2	Somewhat useful
1	Not useful

Item #: Q18

QTRNTYPE. FVAP provides training to election officials in various formats. How useful would each of the following types of training formats be for local election officials in your State? Mark one answer for each statement.

Variable Name	Variable Text	Variable Label
QTRNTYPEA	Online training modules	Q18a: Online training modules
QTRNTYPEB	In-person training	Q18b: In-person training
QTRNTYPEC	Presentation at your State’s conference	Q18c: State conference
QTRNTYPED	Webinar	Q18d: Webinar
QTRNTYPEE	Some other training format	Q18e: Other training format

Value	Value Label
4	Very useful
3	Useful
2	Somewhat useful
1	Not useful

Item #: Q18sp

QTRNTYPESP: Please describe the other training format(s) that would be valuable to your office.

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Improvement of Services

The following questions ask about how FVAP can improve communication with your office and improve FVAP products and services.

Item #: Q19

QHELPS. Across all FVAP’s products and services, how much do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about the information provided by FVAP? Mark one answer for each statement.

Variable Name	Variable Text	Variable Label
QHELPSA	It helps my office increase our understanding of UOCAVA laws	Q19a: Helps with UOCAVA laws
QHELPSB	It helps resolve questions my office receives from local election officials	Q19b: Helps resolves LEO questions
QHELPSC	It helps my State’s local election officials be more effective at their jobs	Q19c: Helps LEOs be more effective

Value	Value Label
5	Strongly agree
4	Agree
3	Neither agree nor disagree
2	Disagree
1	Strongly disagree

Item #: Q20

QCONLEO. On average, how often do you contact local election officials in your State using the following methods of communication? Mark one answer for each statement.

Variable Name	Variable Text	Variable Label
QCONLEOA	Email	Q20a: Email
QCONLEOB	Social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter)	Q20b: Social media
QCONLEOC	Mail	Q20c: Mail
QCONLEOD	State website, instant messenger, or application	Q20d: State site or app
QCONLEOE	In-person meetings or conferences	Q20e: In-person meeting or conferences
QCONLEOF	Phone or conference call	Q20f: Phone or conference call
QCONLEOG	Other	Q20g: Other

Value	Value Label
1	Daily
2	Weekly
3	Monthly
4	Semi-annually
5	Yearly
6	Never

Item #: Q20sp

QCONSP: Please specify the other method(s) of communication your office uses to contact local election officials in your State.

FVAP database matching: As a way to potentially increase accuracy in contacting voters, FVAP is considering offering a service that would allow you to compare your entire State database of UOCAVA military voters to a secondary database of address information. This service would permit the identification of active duty personnel and potential changes in addresses in order to issue address confirmation notices.

Item #: Q21

QDBUSF: Given the above information, how likely is your office to use an FVAP database matching service in future elections?

Value	Value Label
4	Very likely
3	Likely
2	Somewhat likely
1	Not at all likely

Item #: Q22

QDBMIL: Has your office ever had previous experience using any database-matching service for your UOCAVA military voter addresses?

Value	Value Label
2	Yes
1	No

Item #: Q22sp

QDBMILSP: Based on your previous experience using a database-matching service for your UOCAVA military voter addresses, what specific issues do you think need to be improved in a future database?

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Registration and Ballot Requests

The following questions will help us better understand your State’s standard procedures for processing registration and ballot requests during the 2016 General Election. Most of these questions ask about UOCAVA citizens and the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), described below:

UOCAVA Citizens: U.S. citizens who are active members of the Uniformed Services, their eligible family members or U.S. citizens residing outside of the United States.

FPCA: The FPCA is a single form that can be used to register to vote and/or request an absentee ballot for federal elections.

Item #: Q23

QFPCADATE: States have varying dates for when they begin accepting FPCAs before the current federal election year. Did your State accept FPCAs for the 2016 General Election before January 1, 2016?

Value	Value Label
2	Yes, my State began accepting FPCAs before January 1, 2016
1	No, my State only accepted FPCAs received after January 1, 2016

Item #: 24

QONREG: In 2016, did your State allow voters to register to vote as UOCAVA voters through an online voter registration system?

Value	Value Label
1	Yes
2	No
3	It varies by jurisdiction within my State

Item #: Q25

QONAUTO: In 2016, when a UOCAVA voter registered through your State’s online registration system, were they automatically sent an absentee ballot without a separate ballot request form?

Value	Value Label
2	Yes
1	No

Item #: Q26

QFPCAPERM: In some States, if a voter registers using the FPCA, they are considered permanently registered under the National Voter Registration Act (i.e., the voter will be placed on your State’s voter registration roll). In other States, voters must submit a separate registration form to be permanently registered.

In 2016, did your State consider a voter to be permanently registered if they registered using an FPCA?

Value	Value Label
2	Yes
1	No

Item #: Q27

QFPCAPROC: In 2016, if an FPCA from a previously unregistered voter was received after the voter registration deadline but before the absentee ballot request deadline, how was the FPCA processed in your State?

Value	Value Label
1	The FPCA was rejected or not processed for both registration and as a ballot application
2	The FPCA was accepted only as a ballot application for the current election; the voter received a ballot for federal and non-federal offices
3	The FPCA was accepted only as a ballot application for the current election; the voter received a ballot for federal offices only
4	Other

Item #: Q27sp

QFPCAPROCSP: Please specify how your State would process the FPCA in this situation.

Item #: Q28

QPROTECT: Military members and U.S. citizens residing overseas may request absentee ballots using different forms, including FPCAs and State forms. We are interested in whether these types of voters receive the same UOCAVA protections if they use non-FPCA forms.

From the list below, mark all types of absentee ballot request forms that would allow a military member or U.S. citizen residing overseas UOCAVA protections in your State.

Value	Value Label
1	FPCA
2	State form with a UOCAVA classification selected
3	State form without a UOCAVA classification selected, but otherwise indicates the voter is covered under UOCAVA (e.g., voter has an overseas mailing address)
4	Any other form that indicates the voter is covered under UOCAVA

Item #: Q29

QBALCONF: In 2016, which methods did local election officials in your State use to provide confirmation to the UOCAVA voter when a ballot was received? Mark all that apply.

Variable Name	Variable Text	Variable Label
QBALCONFA	Email	Q29a: Email
QBALCONFB	Mail	Q29b: Mail
QBALCONFC	Website or online system	Q29c: Website or online system
QBALCONFD	Phone	Q29d: Phone

Item #: Q30

QBALSEC: In 2016, if a voter returned a voted ballot without enclosing it in a ballot secrecy envelope, how did your State process the ballot?

Value	Value Label
1	The ballot was accepted
2	The ballot was rejected
3	The ballot was rejected, unless it was a FWAB

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CSG Overseas Voting Initiative

The last section of this survey will ask about your State’s awareness and implementation in 2016 of several key recommendations from the Council of State Governments (CSG).

On the next page, please read the following descriptions of these recommendations.

In December 2015, the Council of State Governments (CSG) Overseas Voting Initiative Policy Working Group released recommended State policy improvements for UOCAVA voters, beyond UOCAVA and Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act requirements, in four key areas:

1. Voter Communication—Recommend States use plain language to avoid technical election terms, effectively use websites and social media for a UOCAVA audience, create more user-friendly ballot return envelopes and promote these methods, and improve communication to voters about their ballot acceptance and rejection.

2. Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)—Recommend States treat the FPCA as a permanent request for voter registration and establish a one-election-cycle validity period for the FPCA ballot request.

3. Online Voter Registration—Recommend that States that provide online registration extend online registration to overseas and military voters.

4. Improved Engagement with U.S. Military Community—Recommend that States establish partnerships between election officials and members of local military installations.

Item #: Q31

QCSGAW: Was your office aware of the CSG Overseas Voting Initiative recommendations for the following areas? Mark “Yes” or “No” for each item.

Variable Name	Variable Text	Variable Label
QCSGAWA	Voter communication	Q31a: Voter communication aware
QCSGAWB	FPCA	Q31b: Federal Post Card Application aware
QCSGAWC	Online voter registration	Q31c: Online Voter Registration aware
QCSGAWD	Improved engagement with U.S. military community	Q31d: Improved Engagement with U.S. Military Community aware

Value	Value Label
2	Yes
1	No

Item #: Q32

QCSGCOM: By the November 2018 election, does your State plan to implement any of the following CSG Overseas Voting Initiative recommendations related to voter communication? Mark one answer for each statement.

Variable Name	Variable Text	Variable Label
QCSGCOMA	Revise voter communication language to avoid technical election terms	Q32a: Revise language
QCSGCOMB	Provide a step-by-step checklist for how to vote and return a ballot	Q32b: Voting checklist
QCSGCOMC	Devote a section of your election office website to UOCAVA content	Q32c: UOCAVA website section
QCSGCOMD	Make your State website accessible via mobile devices	Q32d: State mobile site
QCSGCOME	Redesign State website or social media to cater to a younger UOCAVA audience	Q32e: State web design for young UOCAVA
QCSGCOMF	Implement an electronic ballot delivery system	Q32f: Electronic ballot delivery system
QCSGCOMG	Publicize the availability of electronic ballot delivery methods	Q32g: Publicize electronic ballot delivery
QCSGCOMH	Inform UOCAVA voters about the length of the validity of their ballot request	Q32h: Length of UOCAVA ballot request validity
QCSGCOMI	Use online communication to inform voters about election dates and deadlines	Q32i: Online communication of deadlines
QCSGCOMJ	Inform UOCAVA voters why their ballot was rejected and how to correct it in the future	Q32j: Ballot rejection and correction

Value	Value Label
2	Yes
1	No
3	Already implemented

Item #: Q33

QCSGFPCA: By the November 2018 election, does your State plan to implement any of the following CSG Overseas Voting Initiative recommendations related to the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)? Mark one answer for each statement.

Variable Name	Variable Text	Variable Label
QCSGFPCAA	Treat the FPCA as a permanent request for voter registration	Q33a: FPCA permanent voter registration
QCSGFPCAB	Establish a one election cycle validity period for the FPCA ballot request	Q33b: FPCA valid one election cycle

Value	Value Label
2	Yes
1	No
3	Already implemented

Item #: Q34

QCSGOVR: By the November 2018 election, does your State plan to implement any of the following CSG Overseas Voting Initiative recommendations related to online voter registration? Mark one answer for each statement.

Variable Name	Variable Text	Variable Label
QCSGOVRA	Allow a UOCAVA voter to register online	Q34a: UOCAVA online voter registration
QCSGOVRB	Allow a UOCAVA voter to request an absentee ballot online using an FPCA or State form	Q34b: UOCAVA online FPCA ballot request

Value	Value Label
2	Yes
1	No
3	Already implemented

Item #: Q35

QGSGMIL: By the November 2018 election, does your State plan to implement any of the following CSG Overseas Voting Initiative recommendations related to improving engagement with the U.S. military community? Mark one answer for each statement.

Variable Name	Variable Text	Variable Label
QCSGMILA	Recruit spouses to work or volunteer in election offices	Q35a: Recruit spouses for election offices
QCSGMILB	Share FVAP written and video content on election administration websites	Q35b: Share FVAP content
QCSGMILC	Contact staff of local military installations	Q35c: Contact installation staff

Value	Value Label
2	Yes
1	No
3	Already implemented

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Suggested Improvements

Item #: Q36

QCHANGE: FVAP strives to provide excellent products and services to State election officials. What changes could FVAP make to improve our products and services to better assist your office and the local election officials you serve?

OMB Control Number: 0704-0553

Expiration Date: 04/30/2019