Information Collection Activity; Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request, 43477-43478 [06-6602]

Agencies

• Election Assistance Commission

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 147 (Tuesday, August 1, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43477-43478]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-6602]


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ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION


Information Collection Activity; Proposed Information Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC).

ACTION:  Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, EAC announces the proposed extension of a public 
information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions 
thereof. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection 
of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions 
of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed information collection; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before Friday, 
September 29, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations on the proposed 
information collection should be sent to the U.S. Election Assistance 
Commission, 1225 New York Avenue, NW., Suite 1100, Washington, DC 
20005. ATTN: Ms. Laiza N. Otero (or via the Internet at 
lotero@eac.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on this 
proposed information collection or to obtain a copy of the proposal and 
associated collection instruments, please write to the above address or 
call Mrs. Juliet Thompson-Hodgkins or Ms. Laiza N. Otero at (202) 556-
3100. You may also view the proposed collection instrument by visiting 
our Web site at https://www.eac.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title and OMB Number: 2006 Election Administration and Voting 
Survey; OMB Number Pending.
    Needs and Uses: This proposed information collection activity is 
necessary to meet requirements of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 
2002 (42 U.S.C. 15301). Section 241 of HAVA requires the EAC to study 
and report on election activities, practices, policies, and procedures, 
including methods of voter registration, methods of conducting 
provisional voting, poll worker recruitment and training, and such 
other matters as the Commission determines are appropriate. In 
addition, HAVA transferred to the EAC the Federal Election Commission's 
responsibility of biennially administering a survey on the impact of 
the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The information the States 
are required to submit to the EAC for purposes of the NVRA report are 
found under Title 11 of the Code of Federal Regulations (Chapter 1, 
Part 8, Subchapter C). HAVA 703(a) also amended the Uniformed and 
Overseas Citizens Absentee Voters Act by requiring that ``not later 
than 90 days after the date of each regularly scheduled general 
election for Federal office, each State and unit and local government 
which administered the election shall (through the State, in the case 
of a unit of local government) submit a report to the Election 
Assistance Commission (established under the Help America Vote Act of 
2002) on the combined number of absentee ballots transmitted to absent 
uniformed services voters and overseas voters for the election and the 
combined number of such ballots which were returned by such votes and 
cast in the election, and shall make such a report available to the 
general public.'' In order to fulfill these requirements and to provide 
a complete report to Congress, the EAC is seeking information relating 
to the period from the close of registration for the November 2, 2004, 
Federal general election until the close of registration for the 
November 7, 2006, Federal general election, and information from the 
November 7, 2006, Federal general election.
    Affected Public: State government.
    Number of Respondents: 55.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Burden per Response: 91 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 728.50 hours.
    Frequency: Biennially.
    To improve and facilitate the collection and analysis of the survey 
data, the EAC anticipates developing and implementing an Internet-based 
platform to administer the survey. This method will allow respondents 
to enter, save, and edit data prior to submitting their final survey 
response. The following categories of information are requested on a 
state level and/or county/local election jurisdiction:

Voter Registration Applications

    (a) Number of active and inactive registered voters at the time of 
the close of registration for the November 2, 2004, and the November 7, 
2006, Federal general elections; (b) Number of persons who registered 
to vote on Election Day (November 7, 2006)--only applicable to States 
with Election Day registration; (c) Number of voter registration 
applications received from all sources during the period between the 
close of registration for the November 2, 2004, Federal general 
elections until close of registration for the November 7, 2006, Federal 
general elections; (d) Number of voter registration applications 
received by mail during the period between the close of registration 
for the November 2, 2004, Federal general elections until close of 
registration for the November 7, 2006, Federal general elections; (e) 
Number of voter registration applications received in person at the 
clerk or registrar's office during the period between the close of 
registration for the November 2, 2004, Federal general elections until 
close of registration for the November 7, 2006, Federal general 
elections; (f) Number of voter registration applications received or 
generated by each voter registration agency during the period between 
the close of registration for the November 2, 2004, Federal general 
elections until

[[Page 43478]]

close of registration for the November 7, 2006, Federal general 
elections; (g) Number of voter registration applications that were 
duplicates of other valid voter registrations, changes of name, changes 
of address, changes of party, and invalid or rejected (other than 
duplicates); (h) Number of new, valid voter registration applications 
processed between the close of registration for the November 2, 2004, 
Federal general elections until close of registration for the November 
7, 2006, Federal general elections; Number of election jurisdictions 
conducting voter registration; (i) The local entity primarily 
responsible for registering voters; State and local government offices 
or agencies designated as voter registration agencies; (j) Training 
provided to employees of Federal, State, and local government offices 
or agencies designated as voter registration agencies on the voter 
registration process; (k) Manner in which voter registration 
applications are transferred from voter registration agencies to the 
official responsible for voter registration; Official responsible for 
verifying and processing voter registration forms; (1) Number used as 
the voter identification number on the processed voter registration 
form; Manner in which voter registration applications are verified; (m) 
Manner in which voter registration officials check for duplicate 
registrations; Notification to applicants of rejection of their 
application and reason for the rejection; and (n) Manner in which the 
statewide voter registration database links to a State's department of 
motor vehicles and disability and social services agencies.

List Maintenance

    (a) Manner in which list maintenance is performed; Number of 
registrations deleted from the registration list for whatever reason 
between the close of registration for the November 2, 2004, Federal 
general elections until close of registration for the November 7, 2006, 
Federal general elections; (b) Number of removal notices [Section 8, 
(d)(2) confirmation] mailed out between the close of registration for 
the November 2, 2004, Federal general elections until close of 
registration for the November 7, 2006, Federal general elections; (c) 
Number of responses received to the confirmation notices mailed out 
between the close of registration for the November 2, 2004, Federal 
general elections until close of registration for the November 7, 2006, 
Federal general elections; (d) Number of voters moved to the inactive 
list between the close of registration for the November 2, 2004, 
Federal general elections until close of registration for the November 
7, 2006, Federal general elections; (e) Number of voters (active and 
inactive) removed from the voter rolls between the close of 
registration for the November 2, 2004, Federal general elections until 
close of registration for the November 7, 2006, Federal general 
election; (f) Sources considered in performing list maintenance; and 
(g) Manner in which voters convicted of a felony, voters serving a 
sentence of incarceration for conviction of a felony, and voters 
serving a term of probation following being convicted of a felony are 
treated.

2006 Election Day Results

    (a) Identification of States that conduct early voting; (b) 
Statistics on ballots cast and ballots counted by mode of voting; (c) 
Statistics on ballots counted for each candidate on a Federal race; and 
(d) Statistics on provisional ballots.

Absentee Ballots (for the November 7, 2006, Federal General Election 
Only)

    (a) Statistics on absentee ballots requested and not counted by 
type of absentee voter; (b) Statistics on advanced ballots; (c) 
Statistics on the number of Federal Write-In Absentee Ballots (FWAB) 
received; and (d) Statistics on absentee ballot rejections.

Undervotes and Overvotes (for the November 7, 2006, Federal General 
Election Only)

    (a) Statistics on the number of undervotes reported in each Federal 
contest; and (b) Statistics on the number of overvotes reported in each 
Federal contest.

Poll Workers (for the November 7, 2006, Federal General Election Only)

    (a) Information on the number of poll workers required by State law 
or regulation to be present at each polling place; (b) Statistics on 
the number of poll workers that served on Election Day; and (c) Number 
of polling places that did not have the required number of poll 
workers.

Voting Jurisdictions and Polling Places (for the November 7, 2006, 
Federal General Election Only)

    (a) Information on what constitutes a local election jurisdiction 
in the State; (b) Number of local election jurisdictions in the State; 
Statistics on the number of precincts; (c) Statistics on the number of 
polling places; (d) Number of polling places that are accessible to 
voters with disabilities; and (e) Number of polling places where a 
visually impaired voter can cast a private ballot.

Sources of Information

    (a) Number of jurisdictions that provided information to the State 
for purposes of responding to the survey; (b) Contact information for 
each local election official that provided information to the State for 
purposes of responding to the survey; and (c) Other sources of 
information used to respond to the survey other than those already 
provided.

Thomas R. Wilkey,
Executive Director, U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
[FR Doc. 06-6602 Filed 7-31-06; 8:45 am]
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