Election Administration and Voting Survey
EAC administers the biennial Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS), an instrument used to collect state-by-state data on the administration of federal elections. Our data collection effort for the 2010 election is currently under way, and we will report our findings starting in the summer of 2011. Contact us if you would like to receive an automatic e-mail alert when the reports are released. In the meantime, read more about the policies and procedures that guide EAC's survey in A Guide to the Election Administration and Voting Survey, view the survey instrument, and scroll down to view reports from recent federal elections.
A Note About Our Election Data
EAC's Election Administration and Voting Survey asks states for the number of registered voters at the state and county levels. EAC does not request voting age population (VAP) or citizen voting age population (CVAP) data at the county level. The Census Bureau estimates VAP and CVAP. The EAC’s NVRA report shows only state level figures for the number of registered voters; the publicly available datasets include county level registration figures. The state-level VAP and CVAP information that appears in the NVRA report comes from the Census Bureau.
Readers and users of the 2004 and 2006 EAC Election Day Survey data are strongly encouraged to contact each state directly regarding clarification and verification of that state's data. In 2010 EAC adopted Information Quality Guidelines and the Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS) data policy in which each state's chief election official is asked to sign a document certifying the data that the state is reporting to EAC in the Election Administration and Voting Survey.
2012 Election Administration and Voting Survey
The 2012 Election Administration and Voting Survey instrument is divided into two parts. The first part captures quantitative data pertaining to the National Voter Registration Act, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, and other election administration issues such as the counting of provisional ballots and poll worker recruitment. The second part is the Statutory Overview, which asks states a series of open-ended questions about their election laws, definitions, and procedures. This information will help the EAC and other stakeholders to understand the data provided in the first part of the survey, thereby providing a fuller picture of the landscape of U.S. election administration. The results from this data collection effort will be the basis for a series of reports to the public and Congress throughout 2013.
2010 Election Administration and Voting Survey and Data Sets
The 2010 Election Administration and Voting Survey instrument is divided into two parts. The first part captures quantitative data pertaining to the National Voter Registration Act, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, and other election administration issues such as the counting of provisional ballots and poll worker recruitment. The second part is the Statutory Overview, which asks states a series of open-ended questions about their election laws, definitions, and procedures. This information will help the EAC and other stakeholders to understand the data provided in the first part of the survey, thereby providing a fuller picture of the landscape of U.S. election administration. The results from this data collection effort will be the basis for a series of reports to the public and Congress throughout 2011.
2008 Election Administration and Voting Survey and Data Sets
The 2008 Election Administration and Voting Survey instrument is divided into two sections. Section A (the quantitative portion) captures information pertaining to the National Voter Registration Act, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, and other election administration issues such as the casting and counting of provisional ballots and poll worker recruitment. Section B is the Statutory Overview, which asks states a series of questions about their states laws, definitions, and procedures. This information will help the EAC and other stakeholders to understand the information provided in Section A, thereby providing a fuller picture of the landscape of U.S. election administration. The results from this data collection effort will be the basis for a series of reports to the public and Congress throughout 2009.
2006 Election Administration and Voting Survey and Data Sets
December 2007
EAC’s 2006 Election Administration and Voting Survey was distributed to election administrators in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. EAC combined the three required surveys – the 2006 Election Day Survey, the 2005-2006 National Voter Registration Act Survey and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act Survey – into one comprehensive data collection instrument. The findings were published in December 2007.
2004 Election Administration and Voting Survey and Data Sets
In fall of 2004, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) distributed the first-ever Election Day Survey, requesting voting and elections information from election officials throughout the nation. The survey was made up of three separate surveys: the 2004 Election Day Survey, the 2003-2004 National Voter Registration Act Survey and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act Survey. The findings were published in September 2006.