The Independent View: 2016 Election Administration and Voting Survey

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) 2016 Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS), is the most comprehensive Nationwide Data about Election Administration in the United States. The Survey is a deep dive into a wealth of Election and Voting Data and includes Findings such as an Increase in Registered Voters since 2012, a growing number of Americans Voting before Election Day, and a Larger number of Jurisdictions using Technologies such as E-Poll Books.

“In the face of unique challenges last year, election officials across the country administered fair and accurate elections,” said EAC Chairman Matthew V. Masterson. “Today’s report gives us a detailed look inside that process and provides data we can use to improve future elections and voter experience. The EAC looks forward to turning the 2016 EAVS responses into resources for state and local election officials and the American voters they serve.”

The 2016 EAVS included responses from all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Four U.S. Territories. Data is collected at the State and Local Level by County or County equivalent. The EAVS was Administered by Fors Marsh Group and in partnership with the Pentagon’s Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP).

Sean Greene, EAC Director of Research, leads the EAVS. He notes, "One of the most important results of the survey, which began a dozen years ago, is it allows us to see the impact of policy changes over time. For example when the EAVS was first administered, only one state allowed online voter registration (OVR). Now nearly three dozen states offer OVR and it was the second most common source of voter registration applications in the 2016 election cycle. The EAVS allows all stakeholders in the elections process access important data like this."

The following Data Points are among the Primary Findings:

Turnout

63% of the U.S. Civilian Voting Age Population, 140,114,502 Million Americans, voted in the 2016 Presidential Election. Five States: Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Oregon, had Turnout Rates exceeding 70%. But more than 70 Million Registered Voters did not Cast Ballots. That was more than a Third of all Registered Voters. In Ohio, a Swing State where Votes really Matter, about 29% of Registered Voters did not Cast Ballots in 2016.

Voter Registration

States reported 214,109,360 Million Citizens as Registered to Vote. This represents a 6% Increase in Registered Voters compared to the 2012 Presidential Election. Nationally, 86.7% of all Registrants are considered Active Voters, and 8.7% are on an Inactive Voter Registration List. States and Territories reported Processing 77,516,596 Million Voter Registration Applications, 83.4% of which were Accepted by Election Officials.

Online Registration Applications Constituted only 6.5% of Total Registrations in the 2014 Election, but Accounted for 17.4% of Registrations in the 2016 Presidential Election. Since its Inception, Registering to Vote Online has grown in Popularity as it has been adopted by more States. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) still Receives the most Registration Applications, 32.7%, while other Registration methods, like Mail and In-Person Registration, have Declined in use since the 2012 Presidential Election.

From 2014 to 2016, 16,696,470 Million Citizens, 8.8% of all Registrants, were Removed from State Voter Registration Rolls. The number of Registrants Removed from Registration Rolls between 2014 and 2016 was 1.9 Million greater than in the same period leading to the 2014 Federal Election, 2012–2014, a 12.8% Increase. Most States and Territories that provided Information about the Number of Citizens Removed from Registration Rolls reported Removing between 5% and 10% of their Registered Voters.

Pre-election Voting

In 2016, more than 41% of All Ballots were Cast before Election Day. Of the Total Turnout, approximately 17% of Ballots were Cast using In-Person Early Voting and nearly 24% were Cast using By-Mail Absentee Voting. By Mail Absentee Voting Rates vary dramatically across States. Nationally, 79.9% of Absentee Ballots Transmitted to Absentee Voters were Returned and 99% of Returned Ballots were Counted.

Military and Overseas Voting

In 2016, 930,156 Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) Ballots were Transmitted and 68.1%, 633,592 UOCAVA Ballots, were Returned. Of the UOCAVA Ballots Returned by Voters, 19,039, about 3%, were Rejected. Of these Rejected Ballots, nearly Half were Rejected because they were Not Received by Election Offices on Time.

The Number of Ballots Transmitted to Overseas Civilians increased by 23% from 2012 to 2016. Illinois, New Jersey, and Washington are among the States that Reported Transmitting many more Ballots to Overseas Civilians in 2016 than in 2012. Cumulatively, those Three States accounted for an Increase in about 40,000 Ballots Transmitted to Overseas Civilians.

Precinct and Polling Places

Administration of the November 8, 2016 General Election was a massive undertaking. Nationwide, there were 178,217 Individual Precincts, Geographic Voting Areas to which Individuals are Assigned and that determine the Ballot Type Voters Receive and 116,990 Physical Polling Places, the Locations where People can Vote on Election Day. In addition, Jurisdictions Operated more than 8,500 Early Voting Locations in the Days Leading up to the Election.

Poll Workers

Recruiting Poll Workers continues to be a Challenge for many Jurisdictions. Almost half Reported they had a somewhat difficult or very difficult time Recruiting Poll Workers. The Poll Worker Population remains skewed toward Older Americans, with 24% of Poll Workers aged 71 and Older and another 32% aged 61-70.

Provisional Voting

There were 2.4 Million Provisional Ballots cast in 2016, with almost Half of those Ballots Cast in California. Of the Provisional Ballots Cast, 71% were Counted either Partially or in Full.

Poll Book Technology

Most Jurisdictions across the U.S., 81.8%, use Preprinted Paper Registration Lists to Check-In Voters at the Polls. From 2012 to 2016, however, there was a 75% Increase Nationally in the use of Electronic Poll (E-Poll) Books in Elections. In 2012, 645 Jurisdictions, 7.9% of all Jurisdictions Nationally, Reported using E-Poll Books to Sign Voters in. By 2016, 1,146 Jurisdictions, 17.7% of all Jurisdictions, used E-Poll Books and 1,109 Jurisdictions Used them to Sign In Voters at the Polls. Some of these Jurisdictions used E-Poll Books to Update Voter History and to Locate Polling Places.

But with Current Cyber-Security Issues, Board of Elections connected E-Poll Books Technology must be Updated to discouraged Hacking and should use Encrypting the Data Stored at the Poll Sites and Stored at the Board of Elections.