Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB)

Forms and Documents

Forms and supporting documents for this ICR

Document	Type	Status	Availability
Form SF186 Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot	Form and Instruction	Modified	Available
Form SF186 Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot	Form and Instruction	Modified	Available
OMB Emergency Justification Letter_08282026 SIGNED.pdf	Supplementary Document	Uploaded 2026-08-28	Available
DUSW(PR) PRA Emergency Request.pdf	Supplementary Document	Uploaded 2026-08-26	Available
Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot – 0704-0502 SSA.docx	Supporting Statement A	Uploaded 2026-08-28	Available
SSA_0704-0502_FWAB_v2_20260819.docx	Supporting Statement A	Uploaded 2026-08-26	Available
SSN Justification Memo_FWAB_DPCLTD_5.12.21.pdf	Supplementary Document	Uploaded 2021-05-12	Available
SSN Justification Memo_FWAB_DPCLTD_5.12.21.pdf	Supplementary Document	Uploaded 2021-05-12	Available

IC Document Collections

Information collection document groups

IC ID	Collection	Type	Status	Form
207366	Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB)	Form and Instruction	Modified	Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot
207366	Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB)	Form and Instruction	Modified	Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 0704-0502	ICR Reference No: 202608-0704-008
Status: Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 202406-0704-001
Agency/Subagency: DOW/DODDEP	Agency Tracking No:
Title: Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB)
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Emergency	Approval Requested By: 08/31/2026
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved with change	Conclusion Date: 08/28/2026
Retrieve Notice of Action (NOA)	Date Received in OIRA: 08/26/2026
Terms of Clearance: This collection is approved for 6 months based on the revised materials provided by the Department.

table that charts list comparision

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	02/28/2027	6 Months From Approved	10/31/2027
Responses	1,200,000	0	1,200,000
Time Burden (Hours)	300,000	0	300,000
Cost Burden (Dollars)	9,444,000	0	9,444,000

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Abstract: The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act(UOCAVA),42 USC 1973ff, requires the Presidential designee (SECDEF) to prescribe the Federal write-in absentee ballot for absent uniformed service voters and overseas voters in general elections for Federal office. The form serves as a backup ballot for voters who did not receive their State ballot with enough time to vote and return it to their local election official. The authority for the States to collect personal information comes from UOCAVA.

Emergency Justfication: The Department of War (DoW) requests emergency processing to revise the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA, SF 76, OMB 0704-0503) and Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB, SF 186, OMB 0704-0502). These immediate revisions are essential to the mission of the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) to eliminate voter confusion and ensure the forms strictly comply with the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002. Specifically, the revisions clarify voter identification requirements and remove an inaccurate eligibility checkbox for citizens who have never lived in the U.S. DoW cannot reasonably comply with standard PRA clearance procedures because the next Federal election is fewer than 90 days away, and UOCAVA requires States to transmit absentee ballots no later than 45 days before the election. Public harm (voter disenfranchisement) is reasonably likely to occur if the standard clearance time periods are followed. Therefore, DoW requests to bypass the standard public comment periods to ensure these legally compliant forms are implemented in time for the upcoming election.

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 52 USC 203 Name of Law: The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act
  

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

table that charts list of burden

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB)	SF186	Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot

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ICR Summary of Burden

table that charts list 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	1,200,000	1,200,000	0	0	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	300,000	300,000	0	0	0	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	9,444,000	9,444,000	0	0	0	0

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

Burden Increase Due to:

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

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement:

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $64,000

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

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     Yes

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? No

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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: 08/26/2026

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