Data Standardization

Data standardization is the process by which data is stored in a common format, thereby allowing for better communication and sharing of data across systems.

About the Election Administration & Voting Survey Section B Data Standard

ESB Data Standard Documentation

The Overseas Voting Initiative has worked in consultation with the Federal Voting Assistance Program and our working group members to establish a data standard for Section B of the Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS).

Currently, states report aggregate data to the EAVS, meaning that only the totals of each transaction (e.g., the total number of registered UOCAVA voters, the total number of ballots sent to voters, the total number of ballots returned, etc.,) are provided for each jurisdiction. Aggregate data can help election officials understand broad trends in the overall experience of UOCAVA voters but reveals little about the individual experiences of voters.

The EAVS Section B (ESB) Data Standard was developed to capture transactional-level data about each UOCAVA voter and help election officials identify factors that lead to successful voting outcomes. For instance, the ESB data standard captures data such as the date of a voter’s ballot request, the date their ballot was mailed by their local election office, the date the voter returned their ballot and the date that local election officials received their ballot. Analyzing these data points at the transactional – level can help election officials understand the length of the voting process for each voter and determine whether factors such as the timing of a ballot request are linked to voter success or failure. Please see below for more information related to the EAVS Section B Data Standard.

Additional Benefits of the
ESB Data Standard

Streamline

The ESB Data Standard helps reduce the time and effort needed to fulfill federal reporting requirements by allowing officials to export data in a single, consistent format for all target audiences.

Adaptability

The ESB Data Standard was designed to accommodate both traditional absentee voting models and vote-by-mail models. As such, it can be easily modified to capture data for other sections of the EAVS.

Accuracy

The ESB Data Standard helps reduce errors and inaccuracies throughout the data collection process, leading to more accurate and detailed analyses of the UOCAVA voting process.

Evidence

The ESB Data Standard helps improve the accuracy of EAVS Section B data, providing election officials with quality information that can be used to navigate post-election disputes, challenges and recounts.

Implementing the ESB Data Standard

States are not required to store or report data about UOCAVA voters in accordance with the ESB data standard. State adoption of the standard is voluntary and is facilitated by The Council of State Governments and the Federal Voting Assistance Program. If your state or jurisdiction would like to learn more about the ESB data standard, or contribute data to the standard, please contact Casandra Hockenberry at chockenberry@csg.org or Jared Marcotte at jared@turnout.rocks.

Please see below for OVI publications related to the EAVS Section B Data Standard.