DOD Has Identified Long-Standing FVAP Challenges and Needed Actions, but Has Not Established Time Frames for These Actions

DOD has taken various steps to identify challenges and needed  improvements to its overseas voting assistance efforts. However, as previously  noted, the results from recent studies and post-election surveys indicate  that there is limited awareness of FVAP’s resources among military and  overseas voters. Unpredictable Postal Delivery of Absentee Ballots

The second category of challenges identified by DOD and in our prior  work relates to the unpredictable postal delivery of absentee ballots to  and from UOCAVA voters. DOD’s Implementation of FVAP Exhibits Some Leading Practices of Federal Strategic Planning, but DOD Has Not Developed a Strategy to Help Ensure the Long- Term Effectiveness of the Program

DOD’s implementation of its voting assistance program exhibits some  characteristics of the six selected leading practices associated with the  initial stages of effective federal strategic planning but has not fully  exhibited any of these practices. FVAP Has Not Developed a Long-Term Strategy to Guide Its Voting Assistance Efforts

According to officials, as of February 2016, FVAP did not have a long- term strategy, such as a strategic plan, to institutionalize ongoing  practices and establish accountability for efforts still being developed,  such as the partially exhibited leading practices that we have identified  above. Without a strategic plan that  institutionalizes a long-term vision, it will be difficult for FVAP to  demonstrate progress in addressing its long-standing challenges, such as  those previously discussed. While these are positive  steps, some of the challenges identified, such as the limited voter and  stakeholder awareness of FVAP resources and the unpredictable postal  delivery of absentee ballots, are long-standing issues and continue to  persist—in part because DOD has not established time frames for  completing identified corrective actions. Further, while DOD’s leadership of FVAP has  stabilized since 2013, DOD has not fully implemented the six selected  leading practices for federal strategic planning into the day-to-day  operation of the program. We recommend that the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and  Readiness, through the Defense Human Resources Activity, direct  FVAP’s Director to complete the development of a strategic plan that fully  exhibits the six selected leading practices of federal strategic planning,  including, but not limited to: a statement of FVAP’s revised mission and goals; an identification of strategies that address management challenges  and resources needed to achieve goals; a description of leadership involvement and accountability; a description of stakeholder involvement in the development of FVAP a coordination strategy to communicate the program’s mission and  goals to other federal agencies; and a description of performance measures, aligned with program goals  that FVAP will use to track progress toward achieving goals. Appendix I: Description of Military and Overseas Ballots in Elections Held in 2008 through 2014

We reviewed 2008-14 general election survey data from the Election  Assistance Commission, which show that the turnout of voters covered  under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act has  fluctuated between the mid-term and presidential elections, and that  states have received a higher number of ballots from voters covered by  the Act during presidential elections. Appendix III: Scope and Methodology

To determine the extent to which the Department of Defense (DOD) has  identified challenges associated with its military and overseas absentee  voting assistance efforts and developed plans to address those  challenges, we interviewed program officials at the Federal Voting  Assistance Program (FVAP); obtained relevant documents, studies, and  data; and discussed their voting assistance efforts, including challenges  and planned corrective actions. Elections: Action Plans Needed to Fully Address Challenges in Electronic  Absentee Voting Initiatives for Military and Overseas Citizens.
Why GAO Did This Study

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act generally protects the rights of military personnel and overseas citizens to register and vote absentee in federal elections. In 2014, the most recently completed federal election, the Election Assistance Commission estimated that around 6 percent, or 8,500 of the 146,000 ballots submitted by voters covered under the act, were rejected. DOD's Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) generally implements many of the act's provisions and provides absentee voting support.
GAO was asked to review matters related to FVAP. GAO assesses the extent to which DOD has (1) identified challenges with its military and overseas voting assistance efforts and developed plans to address those challenges, and (2) implemented strategic planning practices to help ensure the long-term effectiveness of FVAP. GAO reviewed 2010-14 post-election surveys, 2014-15 DOD-commissioned studies, and compared documentation of FVAP plans with leading federal strategic planning practices; and interviewed FVAP officials and program stakeholders.

What GAO Found

The Department of Defense (DOD), through its Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), has taken steps to identify challenges and needed improvements to its military and overseas absentee voting assistance efforts. However, two long-standing issues—limited awareness of resources for voters and the unpredictable postal delivery of absentee ballots—continue to pose challenges. DOD-commissioned studies and post-election survey results indicate that there is limited awareness of FVAP's resources among military and overseas voters. A 2015 study found, for example, that the online availability of blank ballots led to one of the most significant improvements in military and overseas absentee voting. At the same time, the full benefits of the improvement had not been realized because voters remained unaware that ballots could be requested online. Regarding the unpredictable postal delivery of absentee ballots, the timeliness of a voter's receipt or return of an absentee ballot depends on a number of variables, such as the mode and speed of transportation used to transmit mail. DOD has identified actions that it will take to address these and other issues. However, these challenges persist, in part, because DOD has not established time frames for completing the actions it has identified.
DOD's implementation of FVAP partially exhibits six selected leading practices of federal strategic planning. As shown below, the program exhibits some, but not all, of the characteristics that make up each practice.
According to officials, as of February 2016, DOD did not have a long-term, comprehensive strategy, such as a strategic plan, for its voting assistance program, to institutionalize existing practices and establish accountability for efforts that need further development—such as those related to the partially exhibited leading practices identified. Without a comprehensive strategic plan that institutionalizes a long-term vision, it will be difficult for FVAP to respond to the dynamic nature of the voting environment and frequent turnover in program leadership, and to demonstrate progress in addressing its long-standing challenges.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that DOD establish time frames for actions FVAP identified to address challenges, fully implement the selected leading practices of federal strategic planning into its day-to-day operations, and develop a strategic plan that fully exhibits the six selected leading practices of federal strategic planning. DOD generally concurred with GAO's recommendations.