28036 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 96 / Friday, May 18, 2007 / Notices 

deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 

Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–

800–877–8339. 

[FR Doc. E7–9554 Filed 5–17–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION 

Information Collection Activity; Focus 

Groups—Study of the Feasibility and 

Advisability of Establishing a Program 

of Free Return or Reduced Postage for 

Absentee Ballots 

AGENCY: U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission (EAC). 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission has submitted the 

following information collection request 

to the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) for review and clearance in 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995. The information 

collection was previously published in 

the Federal Register on November 14, 

2006, at 71 FR 66321. The notice 

allowed for a 60-day public comment 

period. Two comments were received 

on this information collection during 

that time period, and as a result the 

number of focus groups was increased 

from three to nine. In addition, each 

selected group will now have one focus 

group from an urban, rural, and 

suburban location to ensure the 

diversity of responses and participants. 

The purpose of this notice is to allow an 

additional 30 days for public comments. 

Comments are encouraged and will be 

accepted until June 18, 2007. This 

process is conducted in accordance with 

5 CFR 1320.10. 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. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted on or before June 18, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments and 

recommendations on the proposed 

information collection should be sent to: 

OMB Review: Alexander T. Hunt, 

Office of Management and Budget, 

Room 10235, New Executive Office 

Building, Washington, DC 20503, (202) 

395–7316. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

request more information on this 

proposed information collection or to 

obtain a copy of the proposal and 

associated collection instruments, 

please, write to the above address or call 

Ms. Karen Lynn-Dyson at (202) 566–

3100. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: 

Study of the Feasibility and Advisability 

of Establishing a Program of Free Return 

or Reduced Postage for Absentee 

Ballots—Focus Groups. 

OMB Number: Pending. 

Type of Review: Regular submission. 

Needs and Uses: Section 246 of the 

Help America Vote Act requires the 

Election Assistance Commission (EAC), 

in consultation with the United States 

Postal Service, to conduct a study on the 

feasibility and advisability of 

establishing a program under which the 

U.S. Postal Service shall waive or 

otherwise reduce the amount of postage 

applicable with respect to absentee 

ballots returned by voters in general 

elections for Federal Office. This study 

does not address the cost to the U.S. 

Postal Service for free postage for 

sending absentee ballots but may 

consider costs to election officials that 

are related to implementing such a 

program including the costs of sending 

absentee ballots to voters. It also does 

not include consideration of the 39 

U.S.C. 3406 provisions for the mailing 

of balloting materials for military and 

overseas absentee voters. 

As part of the study the Commission 

is directed to conduct a nationwide 

survey of potential beneficiaries, 

including the elderly and disabled, and 

to take into account the results of this 

survey in determining the feasibility 

and advisability of establishing such a 

program. This survey will be 

supplemented by focus groups among 

potential beneficiaries—elderly, 

disabled, low-income—to obtain more 

specific information on the challenges 

these populations face when 

participating in election and to assess 

the potential benefit these populations 

might receive from a program of free 

return or reduced postage for absentee 

ballots. At the conclusion of the study 

effort, EAC is required to submit a 

report to Congress with 

recommendations for such legislative 

and administrative action as EAC 

determines appropriate. The report shall 

contain an analysis of the feasibility of 

implementing such a program and an 

estimate of the costs. It is required to 

specifically contain recommendations 

regarding the elderly and disabled 

populations, including ways a free 

absentee ballot return postage program 

would target these populations and 

identify methods to increase the number 

or such individuals who vote in 

elections for Federal office. 

Affected Public: Citizens. 

Number of Respondents: 108. 

Responses per Respondent: 1. 

Estimated Burden Per Response: 1.25 

hours; focus groups will last no longer 

than 1.25 hours. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 135 hours. 

Information will be collected through 

a series of nine focus groups comprised 

of potential beneficiaries of a free and/ 

or discounted absentee ballot postage 

program. Three (3) focus groups will be 

dedicated to issues confronting the 

elderly population, three (3) focus 

groups will be dedicated to issues 

confronting disabled people and three 

(3) focus groups will be dedicated to 

issues confronting the low-income 

citizens. An official from the United 

States Postal Service will observe at 

least one of the planned focus groups. 

The topics that will be explored 

included: 

1. The challenges that the particular 

population faces when participating in 

elections. 

a. Information on respondents’

previous experiences with voting in 

Federal elections. Information on any 

difficulties encountered in the process 

of voting and how the issues were 

resolved. 

2. The concerns members of the 

particular population have about voting 

(e.g. voter intimidation, voter 

confidentiality, security, use of ballots). 

a. Information on particular incidents 

that has prevented respondent from 

being able to vote. 

3. The possible remedies to those 

challenges that would likely increase 

the rates of voter participation in the 

population (e.g. relaxed absentee voting 

laws, better accessibility to polling 

places, voter education). 

a. Information on respondents’

interest in absentee ballot voting. 

4. The likelihood that a free or 

discounted absentee ballot postage 

program would assist the particular 

population. 

a. Information on respondents’

interest in a program of free or 

discounted postage for absentee ballots. 

5. How the program could possibility 

by implemented to target the particular 

population. 

a. Information on creating and 

implementing the program to ensure 

that it benefits the particular 

population. 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 96 / Friday, May 18, 2007 / Notices 28037 

6. The factors that would make 

reaching the particular population 

difficult. 

a. Information on advertising such a 

program to the particular population so 

that they can take advantage of the 

change. 

Thomas R. Wilkey, 

Executive Director, U.S. Election Assistant 

Commission. 

[FR Doc. 07–2463 Filed 5–17–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6820–KF–M 

ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION 

Information Collection Activity; 

Alternative Voting Methods Study 

AGENCY: U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission (EAC). 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission has submitted the 

following information collection request 

to the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) for review and clearance in 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995. The information 

collection was previously published in 

the Federal Register on January 9, 2007, 

at 72 FR 962. The notice allowed for a 

60-day public comment period. Only 

one comment was received on this 

information collection during that time 

period; no substantive changes were 

made to the information collection 

instrument. The purpose of this notice 

is to allow an additional 30 days for 

public comments. Comments are 

encouraged and will be accepted until 

June 18, 2007. This process is 

conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 

1320.10. 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. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted on or before June 18, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments and 

recommendations on the proposed 

information collection should be sent to: 

OMB Reviewer: Alexander T. Hunt, 

Office of Management and Budget, 

Room 10235, New Executive Office 

Building, Washington, DC 20503, (202) 

395–7316. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

request more information on this 

proposed information collection or to 

obtain a copy of the proposal and 

associated collection instruments, 

please, write to the above address or call 

Ms. Karen Lynn-Dyson at (202) 566–

3100. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: 

Alternative Voting Methods Study. 

OMB Number: Pending. 

Type of Review: Regular submission. 

Needs and Uses: Section 241 of the 

Help America Vote Act (HAVA) requires 

the U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission (EAC) to periodically study 

election administration issues with the 

goal of promoting voting methods and 

improving election administration. 

HAVA Section 241(b)(10) instructs the 

EAC to study the feasibility and 

advisability of conducting elections for 

Federal office on different days, at 

different places, and during different 

hours. The study should include a 

discussion of the advisability of 

establishing a uniform poll closing time 

and establishing: 

(A) A legal public holiday under 

section 6103 of title 5 United States 

Code, as the date on which general 

elections for Federal office are held; 

(B) The Tuesday after the 1st Monday 

in November, in every even numbered 

year, as a legal public holiday under 

such section; 

(C) A date other than the Tuesday 

next after the 1st Monday in November, 

in every even numbered year as the date 

on which general elections for Federal 

office are held; and 

(D) Any date described in 

subparagraph (C) as a legal public 

holiday under such section. 

To provide information to the States 

and the Congress on the feasibility and 

advisability of using alternative days, 

times, and places to conduct Federal 

elections, the EAC seeks to survey 

voters to better understand their 

motivations and perceptions of 

impediments to voting. The survey will 

provide insights into the public’s 

perceptions of particular aspects of the 

voting process. 

Affected Public: U.S. citizens and 

residents of Puerto Rico. 

Number of Respondents: 3,000. 

Responses per Respondent: 1. 

Estimated Burden Per Response: .25 

hours. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 750. 

Frequency: Once. 

Information will be collected through 

a statistically valid survey of 3,000 U.S. 

citizens and residents of Puerto Rico to 

determine how they either do respond 

to alternative voting methods (if in a 

state that offers them) or would respond 

to alternative voting methods (if in a 

state that does not allow them). This 

survey will be representative of the 50 

U.S. states and Puerto Rico. The topics 

that will be explored include, but are 

not limited to: 

a. Voting by mail. 

b. Voting at consolidated polling 

center. 

c. Voting online. 

d. Voting earlier/later on Election 

Day. 

e. Voting on weekend day. 

f. Voting on day other than first 

Tuesday in November. 

g. Making the day on which Federal 

elections are held a Federal holiday. 

h. No alternative voting method, 

prefer status quo. 

The survey will gather data regarding 

each respondent’s background. 

Background information will include, 

but is not limited to: (1) Respondents’

voter registration history, (2) 

respondents’ voting history, and (3) 

standard demographic questions 

covering age, ethnicity, education, 

employment status, and income bracket. 

Thomas R. Wilkey, 

Executive Director, U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission. 

[FR Doc. 07–2464 Filed 5–17–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6820–KF–M 

ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION 

Information Collection Activity; Survey 

of Registered Voters—Study of the 

Feasibility and Advisability of 

Establishing a Program of Free Return 

or Reduced Postage for Absentee 

Ballots 

AGENCY: U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission (EAC). 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission has submitted the 

following information collection request 

to the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) for review and clearance in 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995. The information 

collection was previously published in 

the Federal Register on January 23, 

2007, at 72 FR 2875. The notice allowed 

for a 60-day public comment period. 

Only one comment was received on this 

information collection during that time 

period, and changes were made to the 

collection instrument to improve and 

clarify the data being collected, 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES