EAC Awards Five States $10 Million to Improve Election Data Collection |
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By Election Assistance Commission Media Release
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May 30, 2008 |
Good Data Benefits the Election Process, Chief Election Official Says
The
U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) will award five states $2
million each to improve the collection of precinct-level data in the
November 2008 election. This marks the first time the federal
government will issue grants to states to improve federal elections
data. The winning states—Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio,
Pennsylvania and Wisconsin—will use the funds to develop methods and
procedures for collecting data that other states and jurisdictions can
replicate. The EAC will include this data in its biennial Election Day
Survey, a comprehensive report on how Americans vote in federal
elections. The EAC's 2004 and 2006 Election Day Surveys
include statistics on key election issues such as voter turnout and
registration, overvotes and undervotes, poll workers, and voting
equipment and machines, among other topics. "Solid data on
how federal elections are carried out in all U.S. states and
territories can help local officials make effective, fiscally-sound
enhancements to the voting process," EAC chairwoman Rosemary Rodriguez
said. Ten states applied for the Election Data Collection grants, and winners were selected through an independent review process. The Omnibus Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2008 and Public Law 110-161
authorize the EAC to distribute the grants. The Act also requires
states to submit data they collect to the EAC by March 2009. In turn,
the EAC is required to evaluate the grant program's overall success,
and provide Congress recommendations for changes to federal laws and
regulations to improve the collection of data. Additional information
about the program is available in the grant announcement.
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