FVAP Releases Additional Analyses on Data Standardization and the 2020 General Election
The Federal Voting Assistance Program's (FVAP) latest analyses build upon previous research published in the Data Standardization and the 2020 General Election Research Note. These analyses, based on transactional data from participating states and localities, are presented in the form of three separate Issue Briefs:
Findings from Issue Brief #1: Ballot Outcomes by Ballot Receipt Date Issue Brief
- Voters' knowledge of state requirements, including deadlines and signature requirements, reduce the likelihood of ballot rejection close to Election Day when little time is left to resolve these issues.
- Voters whose ballots arrive close to Election Day run a higher risk that their ballot will not be counted
Findings from Issue Brief #2: Vote Outcomes for FPCAs and State Applications
- Returned ballots requested using a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) were counted at higher percentages than ballots requested through state applications.
- The use of FPCAs should continue to be encouraged amongst military and overseas citizen voters.
Findings from Issue Brief #3: The UOCAVA Vote Process by World Regions
- Many UOCAVA voters relied on electronic methods for ballot transmission and return, especially when residing in distant countries or regions with unreliable postal service.
- UOCAVA voters residing in remote areas or in locations which lack reliable postal service should receive targeted communications emphasizing the importance of acting early, and the availability of electronic options.
Since 2015, FVAP has been working with The Council of State Governments' Overseas Voting Initiative to develop a standardized format that captures transactional-level data about military and overseas voters in the Election Administration and Voting Survey Section B (ESB) Data Standard, also known as the ESB Data Standard. For the 2020 General Election, 12 states and 7 jurisdictions reported data, which accounted for about 40% of the total UOCAVA population in the U.S. FVAP is working to expand its ESB data collection coverage to additional states and jurisdictions in anticipation of the 2022 General Election.
If you would like more information regarding this research, please contact FVAP's State Legislative Affairs Specialist, Heather Eudy at heather.d.eudy.civ@mail.mil
For more information on FVAP or the absentee voting process for military and overseas citizens, visit FVAP.gov call FVAP at 1-800-438-VOTE or DSN 425-1584 (CONUS)/312-425-1584 (OCONUS), or email vote@fvap.gov. Facebook.com/DoDFVAP; Twitter @FVAP.
