What is the Election Administration and Voting Survey?

The Election Administration and Voting Survey (also known as the Election Day Survey) provides information related to election administration, registration, and voting.

The biennial survey includes national, state, and county-level data on:

• Voter Registration
• Uniformed and Overseas Voters
• Early, Absentee, and Provisional Voting
• Voting Equipment Usage
• Poll Workers, Polling Places, and Precincts

In addition to these specific areas, the EAC uses the Election Administration and Voting Survey to learn more about other timely and important election administration issues, for example, from the use of electronic poll books to the prevalence of voter registration processes being conducted via the Internet.

Who responds to the Election Administration and Voting Survey?

The Election Administration and Voting Survey is sent to election officials in 50 states, the District of Columbia, and four territories – Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Why does the EAC produce the Election Administration and Voting Survey?

The EAC released its first survey in 2004 under authority granted to the commission by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002. Section 202 of HAVA requires the EAC to serve as a national clearinghouse and resource for the compilation of information and review of procedures with respect to the administration of Federal elections. Section 202(3) authorizes the EAC to conduct studies and carry out other duties and activities to promote the effective administration of Federal elections.

HAVA mandates that the Commission collect information related to the processes and procedures used to register voters and to serve uniformed and overseas citizens wishing to vote. The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993 required the Federal Election Commission (and subsequently, the Election Assistance Commission) to report to Congress by June 30 of the year following a Federal election on the impact of the Act on the administration of elections and to include recommendations for improvements in procedures, forms, and other matters affected by the Act.

Section 703 of HAVA mandates that for each regularly scheduled general election for Federal office, the EAC shall collect comprehensive data from the states on all of the ballots sent to military and overseas voters and received back by election administrators. The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) of 1986 protects the voting rights of members of the uniformed services and U.S. citizens residing outside of the country. 

How often does the EAC produce the Election Administration and Voting Survey?

The information collection associated with the Election Administration and Voting Survey is conducted every two years following a Federal election.

Where can I read or download copies of the Election Administration and Voting Survey reports?

Three reports are produced from the data collected through the Election Administration and Voting Survey:  

• The Impact of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) on the Administration of Elections for Federal Office 
• Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) Survey Report Findings 
• Election Administration and Voting Survey (this comprehensive report includes key findings from the NVRA and UOCAVA reports, as well as findings from the other topical areas addressed in the survey)

The survey reports for 2004 and 2006 are available to the public and can be found here.
The reports on the 2008 election will be released in the summer and fall of 2009.

What’s new in the 2008 Election Administration and Voting Survey?

New to the 2008 survey is a Statutory Overview in which states were asked a series of questions about their state election laws, definitions, and procedures. This information, which will be available in 2009, will help the EAC and its stakeholders understand the quantitative data appearing in the Election Administration and Voting Survey report, while also providing a clearer picture of the legal landscape governing U.S. elections.

The broad categories of questions to which states have been asked to respond are basically the same in 2008 as they were in 2004 and/or 2006 (i.e. Voter Registration, Uniformed and Overseas Voters, Early, Absentee, and Provisional Voting, Voting Equipment, and Poll Workers, Polling Places, and Precincts). New questions appearing in the 2008 survey include, among others, voter identification for first-time voters, poll books, online registration, state laws regarding post-election audits and poll worker training. The 2008 survey instruments can be found here.

What is the $10M Election Data Collection Grant Program?

In 2008 the EAC administered a $10 million election data collection grant program in which five states received $2 million each to improve their election data collection systems, and produce election data at the precinct (or equivalent) level. The five grantee states—Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—will provide state, county, and precinct-level data. Findings from the grant program will be detailed in a separate report to Congress in June 2009.

What value does the Election Administration and Voting Survey provide? 
The survey is the most comprehensive data collection effort on election administration undertaken by a government entity. Some of its benefits include:

• Providing the general public including policymakers, advocates, and academics with voting and Federal elections information and data; 
• Helping to provide context to the complexities of the administration of U.S. elections;
• Giving election officials and policymakers information that can be used to identify problems and set priorities; likewise, it can be used to help set benchmarks and establish best practices;
• Allowing election officials to determine the successes and challenges of their administrative efforts; and
• Encouraging consistent data collection on the part of local and state election officials.

Questions about the survey?
Please call the EAC at 1-866-747-1471/202-566-3100 or send an e-mail to HAVAinfo@eac.gov