Proposed Collection; Comment Request, 25061-25062 [2013-10027]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Office of the Secretary

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 82 (Monday, April 29, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25061-25062]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-10027]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Docket ID DoD-2013-OS-0088]


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and 
Readiness), DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel 
and Readiness) announces a proposed 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 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: Consideration will be given to all comments received by June 28, 
2013.

[[Page 25062]]


ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and 
title, by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Federal Docket Management System Office, 4800 Mark 
Center Drive, East Tower, 2nd floor, Suite 02G09, Alexandria, VA 22350-
3100.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency 
name, docket number and title for this Federal Register document. The 
general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the 
public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the 
Internet at https://www.regulations.gov as they are received without 
change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.
    Any associated form(s) for this collection may be located within 
this same electronic docket and downloaded for review/testing. Follow 
the instructions at https://www.regulations.gov for submitting comments. 
Please submit comments on any given form identified by docket number, 
form number, and title.

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 Federal Voting 
Assistance Program ATTN: Mr. David Beirne, 4800 Mark Center Drive, 
Suite 03J25 Alexandria, VA 22350, or call at (571) 372-0740.
    Title, Associated Form, and OMB Control Number: The 2013 FVAP 
Ethnographies, Focus Groups, and Surveys; OMB Control Number 0704-TBD.
    Needs and Uses: The primary objective of the set of information 
collections referred to as the 2013 FVAP Ethnographies, Focus Groups, 
and Surveys, conducted on behalf of the Federal Voting Assistance 
Program (FVAP), an agency of the Department of Defense, is to examine 
the attitudes, experiences, and behaviors of a number of actors 
involved in the absentee voting process as it pertains to CONUS and 
OCONUS military voters and overseas voters covered under the Uniformed 
and Overseas Civilian Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). This research will 
explore potential deficiencies, risks, and pitfalls which serve as 
barriers to voting success among these UOCAVA voters. The data obtained 
through this study will provide an assessment of potential changes to 
address current barriers to UOCAVA voting.
    Specifically, this effort will be comprised of the following 
research components:
     39 ethnographies among non-military and non-U.S. 
government individuals;
     48 ethnographies with Local Election Officials;
     28 ethnographies among spouses/adult children of active 
duty U.S. military service members;
     24 focus groups among non military UOCAVA voters;
     8 focus groups among military spouses/adult children;
     4 focus groups among non military non voters;
     Survey of 4,000 non military UOCAVA voters;
     2 final focus groups among military spouses/adult 
children.
    Affected Public: Non-military UOCAVA voters including military 
spouses and adult children, non-military and non-U.S. government 
individuals, and Local Election Officials.
    Annual Burden Hours: 2,323 hours total. Time estimates by research 
methodology as follows:

 39 ethnographies among non-military and non-U.S. government 
individuals: 78 hours (2 hours per respondent)
 48 ethnographies with Local Election Officials: 96 hours (2 
hours per respondent)
 28 ethnographies among spouses/adult children of active duty 
U.S. military service members: 56 hours (2 hours per respondent)
 24 focus groups among non military UOCAVA voters: 480 hours (2 
hours per respondent; 10 respondents per group; 240 respondents)
 8 focus groups among military spouses/adult children: 160 
hours (2 hours per respondent; 10 respondents per group; 80 
respondents)
 4 focus groups among non military non voters: 80 hours (2 
hours per respondent; 10 respondents per group; 40 respondents)
 Survey of 4,000 non military UOCAVA voters: 1,333 hours (20 
minutes per respondent)
 2 final focus groups among military spouses/adult children: 40 
hours (2 hours per respondent; 10 respondents per group; 20 
respondents)

    Number of Respondents: 4,495.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: Ethnographies and Focus Groups: 2 
hours each. Survey: 20 minutes.
    Frequency: One time.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Summary of Information Collection

    The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) 
requires the States to allow Uniformed Services personnel, their family 
members, and overseas citizens to use absentee registration procedures 
and to vote by absentee ballot in general, special, primary, and runoff 
elections for Federal offices. The Act covers members of the Uniformed 
Services and the merchant marine to include the commissioned corps of 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Public Health 
Service and their eligible dependents, Federal civilian employees 
overseas, and overseas U.S. citizens not affiliated with the Federal 
Government. Local Election Officials (LEO) process voter registration 
and absentee ballot applications, send absentee ballots to voters, and 
receive and process the voted ballots in counties, cities, parishes, 
townships and other jurisdictions within the U.S. LEOs, independently 
and in relation to their respective State election officials, are often 
one of the most important pieces in the absentee voting process for 
UOCAVA citizens. The 2013 FVAP Ethnographies, Focus Groups, and Surveys 
research project will examine attitudes, experiences, and behaviors of 
LEOs and UOCAVA voters around the UOCAVA voting process. The research 
will explore the deficiencies, risks, and pifalls that serve as key 
barriers to UOCAVA voting success and will provide insights and 
recommendations for potential changes to address obstacles in the 
UOCAVA voting process. The study involves both qualitative and 
quantitative data collection methods. The research findings will be 
used for overall rogram evaluation, management and improvement.

    Dated: April 15, 2013.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2013-10027 Filed 4-26-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P