1 Department of Defense Federal Voting Assistance Program Briefing to Idaho County Clerks November 30, 2005

2 FVAP Mission is to Administer the: Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA)

3 UOCAVA Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act of 1986, Pub. L. No PRESIDENT FEDERAL VOTING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

4 FVAP Goals 1.Inform and educate U.S. citizens worldwide of the right to vote 2.Foster voting participation 3.Protect the integrity of, and enhance, the electoral process

5 UOCAVA protects absentee voting rights for Uniformed Services members, their families and all U.S. citizens residing outside the United States.  Facilitate registration & voting for UOCAVA citizens  Consult state and local election officials  Prescribe absentee registration & ballot request form  Prescribe Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot  Suggest design for state absentee ballot envelopes  Compile and distribute descriptive material on state absentee registration and voting procedures FVAP Program Responsibilities

6 Members of the U.S. Uniformed Services UOCAVA Covers:

7 Members of the U.S. Merchant Marine UOCAVA Covers:

8 Family Members of all the Above UOCAVA Covers:

9 U.S. Citizens Residing Outside the U.S. UOCAVA Covers:

10 More than Six Million Potential Voters 3.7 Million overseas civilians, not affiliated with the Government 1.4 Million military 1.3 Million military dependents of voting age 0.1 Million Federal civilian employees overseas UOCAVA Covers:

11 Military Voting Participation All Services 1992 – 67% All Services 1996 – 64% All Services 2000 – 69% All Services 2004 – 79% Army 2004 – 78% Navy 2004 – 77% Air Force 2004 – 80% Marine Corps 2004 – 79% Coast Guard 2004 – 83%

12 Voting Participation Overseas Civilian Participation 1992 – 31% 1996 – 37% 2000 – 37% 2004 – 58% Federally Employed Overseas Civilians 1992 – 79% 1996 – 68% 2000 – 65% 2004 – 80%

13  Did not know how to get an absentee ballot  Absentee ballot did not arrive  Discouraged by absentee voting process  Not interested in voting  No candidate preference  Not familiar with candidates or issues  Did not think my vote mattered  Absentee ballot arrived too late  Thought not eligible to vote  Did not know state of legal residency for voting Source: FVAP 2000 Post-Election Survey Non-Voters’ Excuses Given

14

15 FVAP Web Page for Local Election Officials

16 Voting Assistance Guide

17 Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)

18 On-Line FPCA

19  Inadequate or No Legal Voting Residence Address  Inadequate or Illegible Current Mailing Address  Illegible Writing  Applied to Wrong Jurisdiction  Failure to Indicate Party Preference  No Signature  Received Too Late  Form Not Completed Source: FVAP 2004 Post-Election Survey Problems Local Election Officials Experienced in Processing FPCAs

20 Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB)

21 On-Line FWAB

22  Mail ballots at least 30 days before election (Oklahoma)  Provide State Write-in Ballot (if authorized)  Use to deliver blank ballots (if allowed)  Provide simple ballot marking and return instructions with absentee ballots  Include instructions to return voted ballot by or fax, where authorized  Use the postage free mailing indicia — you should not pay postage for UOCAVA citizens  Inform the voters when you receive their FPCAs  Use or FVAP supplied postcard  Tell them when you will mail the absentee ballot Information for Local Election Officials What You Can Do To Help Get Ballots Counted

23 Internet Voter Registration Verification

24 “National Business Service Center” Ballot Envelope Design

25  Insufficient ballot transit time  Most common barrier to UOCAVA voters  Regular mail delivery not available in remote areas  USPS suggestions for expeditious mail delivery  Use black ink on white paper  Use U.S. Postage Paid indicia: U.S. Postage Paid 39 USC Reference Domestic Mail Manual DMM  Use Official Election Mail logo Ballot Envelope Design

26 NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IN THE U.S. MAIL - DMM Ballot Envelope Design

27 Ballot Envelope Design FRONTFRONT BACKBACK NO POSTAGE NCESSARY IN U.S. MAILS – DMM

28 What DoD Did to Move Balloting Materials  Revised ballot envelope design  Proper postmarking — all major military units have postmarking devices  Weekly messages sent to military post offices on proper handling of ballots  Biweekly and weekly surveys of all military post offices to ensure no ballots were delayed  Published recommended mailing dates based on location to assure ballot receipt by state deadlines  Expedited postal delivery to APOs/FPOs with USPS  Express mail service began Sep 20, 2004 and was extended through Oct 22, 2005 for a total of 5 weeks  Beginning Oct 24, 2004 voting materials from APO/FPO were express mailed to the gateways where they were packaged and sent express overnight to the local election official.

29  Mail service in Florida delayed due to Hurricane Charlie  Hurricane-related printing delays in several states  Return Address or voter ID barcodes on the back of ballot envelopes misread by USPS equipment resulting in the ballot looping back to the LEO  Pencils, paper clips, etc. included in ballot envelopes resulted in hand processing and delays  A few absentee ballots to overseas voters were returned by local post office to the LEO for postage due  Some combat APO address changes (zip codes) resulted in mail not being redirected to service member still in Iraq Mail Problems Encountered During the 2004 Elections

30 Mail Problems Encountered During the 2004 Elections  Risks to ballots in combat zones  Incendiary device on plane destroyed some ballots  Attacks against supply convoys delayed mails

31  Military Postal Agency & US Postal System investigating the feasibility of including a special barcode to identify the mail piece as balloting material  APO/FPO mailing address including country names, i.e., IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, etc. resulted in mail being diverted into the local mail system Mail Problems Encountered During the 2004 Elections (cont)

32 APO/FPO Mail Problems Improper Addressing

33 What Local Election Officials Can Do to Improve Mail Delivery  Use the new domestic mail manual (DMM) number when printing new envelopes – DMM  Use machine printed address labels – hand written addresses cannot be read by the automatic mail scanners  Consult your Mail Piece Design Analyst at the USPS when using barcodes on the external envelope  Pencils, paper clips, etc. may result in hand processing and delays  Only use APO/FPO number and address – do not include the country name  Use the correct facing identification marks (FIM)  FIM B – Used without a preprinted barcode at bottom of mail piece  FIM C – Used with a preprinted barcode

34 FVAP Special Efforts  Work with states to facilitate absentee voting  32 states provide 45 or more days ballot transit time  27 states provide a state special write-in absentee ballot Available days before the election Used when military service or remote location precludes voting by regular absentee ballot  Monitor ballot transit times in jurisdictions  Recent court action in state elections Late counting of absentee ballots Express mail Use of FWAB

35  FVAP working with HQ National Guard Bureau Instruction to contact LEOs upon deactivation  Letter to all Governors requesting voting assistance for National Guard Units  FVAP Election Year Site Visits Brief activated units at Mobilization Sites In-hand delivery of FPCA before leaving the country National Guard and Reserve Mobilization And Return

36 Special Efforts E-Voting Initiatives Since 2000  Special arrangements for members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan (e.g., electronic transmission & Internet ballot request/delivery)  States permitting fax delivery of blank ballot increased from 23 to 33  States permitting fax return of voted ballot increased from 17 to 24  FVAP Toll free fax access increased from 2 to 51 countries  Some jurisdictions allow blank ballot delivery by  Several VA counties  Chicago/Cook County IL  19 counties in WA  Pearl River County MS (state and local election)  12 counties in CA (special election)  Florida  Wisconsin

37 Recommendations  Designate a contact to help UOCAVA citizens  Prepare a state UOCAVA Voter Guide for publication on website and in hard copy  Ensure election officials throughout the state are trained on provisions of UOCAVA  Provide procedures for UOCAVA citizens to follow on elections website  Differentiate between UOCAVA and state absentee voters  Perform internal survey of elections jurisdictions to determine compliance with state law for mailing absentee ballots to UOCAVA citizens

38 Federal Legislation

39 Defense Authorization Act for FY 2002, Title XVI, Uniformed Services Voting: Accept the FPCA as a Simultaneous Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot Application Polling on Military Installations State Governor’s Report to Congress on Status of FVAP Legislative Initiatives Federal Legislation

40 Help America Vote Act of October 2002 Title VII - Voting Rights of Military Members and Overseas Citizens The Secretary of Defense shall: Prescribe regulations & procedures for VAOs to be provided time & resources necessary to perform their duties Implement measures to ensure a postmark or other official proof of mailing on ballots collected by DoD overseas or vessels at sea Develop standard oath for UOCAVA voting materials EAC Board of Advisors – 37 appointed members Includes Director, Federal Voting Assistance Program EAC/DoD study report on best practices for facilitating voting by Uniformed Service and overseas citizens Federal Legislation

41 Help America Vote Act of October 2002 Title VII - Voting Rights of Military Members and Overseas Citizens The States shall: Designate a single office responsible for UOCAVA citizen procedures Report to the Commission on number of UOCAVA absentee ballots sent, received and cast Extend effective period of the FPCA through the next two regularly scheduled general elections Inform UOCAVA voters if their registration or ballot application was refused and the reason for the refusal Shall not refuse an FPCA submitted within calendar year Federal Legislation

42 Defense Authorization Act for FY 2005, Title V, Subtitle I, Military Voting: Expand use of FWAB to Absent Uniformed Services Voters Inside the U.S. Expand FWAB Acceptance by Extension of Registration Deadline to Meet State Date Delay for on-line voting demonstration project Federal Legislation

43 State Legislation

44 State Legislative Priorities Each year FVAP forwards recommended legislative changes to the states. The top priorities are:  Provide at least 45 days between the ballot mailing date and the date ballots are due.  State Chief Election Officials should have emergency authority to extend ballot return deadline, allow electronic transmission, etc.  Further expand the use of electronic transmission of voting materials.  States should provide a state write-in absentee ballot to be sent out days before all elections.

45 Idaho - Legislation Passed  Allows voter to submit the FPCA by fax for absentee ballot request  Allows voters to receive the blank ballot by fax under certain emergency circumstances  Elimination of Notary Requirements  45 Day Ballot Transit Time for General Election  FPCA effective for all elections through the next two regularly scheduled general elections.

46 Phone: VOTE (8683) Toll Free Numbers from 59 Countries Office Fax: 703–696–1352 ETS: 1–800–368–VOTE (8683) Toll-free Fax Numbers from 49 Countries Ombudsman Service

Election Dates Poster

Motivational Posters

49  Train-the-trainer sessions directly to Embassy/Consulate, Installation/Unit Voting Assistance Officers  Workshops schedule began November Voting Assistance Workshops

50 Embassy and Consulate Support

51 Local Election Official FAX VOTE! Electronic Transmission Service (ETS)

52 Jurisdictions that allow blank ballot delivery by  Several VA counties  Chicago/Cook County IL  23 counties in WA  Pearl River County MS (state and local election)  12 counties in CA (special election) Electronic Transmission Service (ETS)

53 Get-out-the-Vote

54 Questions?

55 Department of Defense Federal Voting Assistance Program Briefing to Idaho County Clerks November 30, 2005