Election Assistance Commission Seeks Comment on 2026 Voting Survey

Regs.gov: Election Assistance Commission

Detected March 14th, 2026

Summary

The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is requesting public comment on the proposed 2026 Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS). The survey aims to collect data on various aspects of election administration from state and local election officials.

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What changed

The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) has issued a notice requesting public comment on the proposed 2026 Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS). This survey, which will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget for approval, seeks to gather information on voter registration, overseas and military voting, mail-in voting, early voting, polling operations, provisional voting, voter participation, election technology, and election policy. The EAC states the survey is necessary to fulfill its obligations under the Help America Vote Act, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), and the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).

Regulated entities, primarily state and local election officials, are invited to submit written comments by March 16, 2026. Comments should address the necessity, accuracy, utility, and clarity of the proposed information collection, as well as methods to minimize respondent burden. The EAC is seeking input on whether the survey questions are necessary for proper agency functions, the accuracy of burden estimates, and ways to enhance data quality and minimize the burden on respondents through technology. Failure to provide input may result in the survey being approved with provisions that could increase reporting requirements for election officials.

What to do next

Review the draft 2026 Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS) instrument.
Submit written comments on the survey's necessity, accuracy, utility, and clarity by March 16, 2026.
Consider methods to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents.

Source document (simplified)

Content

ACTION:

Notice, request for comment.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) announces an information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions
thereof. The EAC intends to submit this proposed information collection (2026 Election Administration and Voting Survey, or
EAVS) to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget for approval. The 2026 EAVS asks election officials questions
concerning voting and election administration, including the following topics: Voter registration; overseas and military voting;
voting by mail; early in-person voting; polling operations; provisional voting; voter participation; election technology;
election policy; and other related issues.

DATES:

Written comments must be submitted on or before March 16, 2026.

Comments: Public 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.

ADDRESSES:

Comments on the proposed information collection should be submitted electronically via https://www.regulations.gov (docket ID: EAC-2026-0001). Written comments on the proposed information collection can also be sent to the U.S. Election
Assistance Commission, 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20001, Attn: EAVS.

Obtaining a Copy of the Survey: To obtain a free copy of the draft survey instrument: (1) Download a copy at https://www.regulations.gov (docket ID: EAC-2026-0001); or (2) write to the EAC (including your address and phone number) at U.S. Election Assistance
Commission, 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20001, Attn: EAVS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Raymond Williams at 202-924-0794, or email research@eac.gov; U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title and OMB Number: 2026 Election Administration and Voting Survey; OMB Number Pending.

Needs and Uses

The EAC issues the EAVS to meet its obligations under the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) to serve as a national clearinghouse
and resource for the compilation of information with respect to the administration of Federal elections; to fulfill both the
EAC and the Department of Defense Federal Voting Assistance Program's (FVAP) data collection requirements under the Uniformed
and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA); and meet its National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) mandate to collect
information from states concerning the impact of that statute on the administration of Federal elections. In addition, under
the NVRA, the EAC is responsible for collecting information and reporting, biennially, to Congress on the impact of that statute.
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. States that respond to questions in this survey concerning voter registration-related matters
will meet their NVRA reporting requirements under 52 U.S.C. 20508 and EAC regulations. Finally, UOCAVA mandates that FVAP
work with the EAC and chief state election officials to develop standards for reporting UOCAVA voting information (52 U.S.C.
20302) and that FVAP will store the reported data and present the findings within the congressionally-mandated report to the
President and Congress. Additionally, UOCAVA requires that “not later than 90 days after the date of each regularly scheduled
general election for Federal office, each state and unit of local government which administered the election shall (through
the state, in the case of a unit of local government) submit a report to the EAC 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 voters and cast in the election, and shall make such a report available to the general public.”
States that complete and timely submit the UOCAVA section of the survey to the EAC will fulfill their UOCAVA reporting requirement
under 52 U.S.C. 20302. In order to fulfill the above requirements, the EAC is seeking information relating to the period from
the Federal general election day 2024 +1 through the November 2026 Federal general election. The EAC will provide the data
regarding UOCAVA voting to FVAP after data collection is completed. This data sharing reduces burden on local election offices
because FVAP does not have to conduct its own data collection to meet its reporting requirements.

Affected Public (Respondents): State or local governments, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and
the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Affected Public: State or local government.

Number of Respondents: 56.

Responses per Respondent: 1.

Estimated Burden per Response: 83 hours per collection, 41.5 hours annualized.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 4,648 hours per collection, 2,324 hours annualized.

Frequency: Biennially.

Seton Parsons, Associate Counsel, U.S. Election Assistance Commission. [FR Doc. 2026-00303 Filed 1-9-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4810-71-P