Annual Report - States

Help America Vote Act (HAVA)

ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT FORMAT & GUIDELINES

NARRATIVE REPORT for funds used under the Help America Vote Act, P.L. 107-252, Title II, Subtitle D, Section 261, Payments to States and Units of Local Government to assure access for individuals with disabilities (42 U.S.C. 15421).

__ ___ __ __ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Per the requirements set forth in the Program Instruction pertaining to the availability of Fiscal Year XXXX (insert year) funds under the Help America Vote Act, P.L. 107-252, Title II, Subtitle D, Section 261, Payments to States and Units of Local Government to assure access for individuals with disabilities (42 U.S.C. 15421), each grantee is required to ANNUALLY submit a narrative report describing the use of these funds with regard to the four mandated areas of activities authorized under 42 U.S.C. 15421 of the Help America Vote Act.

The narrative report should be written as a detailed summary of the HAVA activities, barriers, best practices, collaborations and funds spent to carry out the activities during the reported fiscal year. The emphasis of the narrative report is to address the states’ progress as it relates to the activities outlined in the Election Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities (EAID) plan (application) submitted in response to the Help America Vote Act program announcement. The narrative report should also identify the funds used to implement the four mandated areas of activities authorized under 42 U.S.C. 15421 of the Help America Vote Act. The four mandated areas are:

1. To make polling places accessible to individuals with disabilities;

2. To provide the same opportunity for access and participation in the electoral process, including privacy and independence, to voters with disabilities as that which exists for voters with no disabilities;

3. To provide training for election officials, poll workers, and election volunteers on how best to promote access and participation of individuals with disabilities in elections for Federal office; and

4. To provide information to individuals with disabilities with information about the accessibility of polling places.

The narrative report should review the states’ plan to address the four mandated areas and describe how the plans were carried out for each area. It is highly recommended that the following questions and statements are considered when summarizing the status of the four mandated areas:

• What activities described within the state’s voting accessibility plan (application) were carried out to completion?

• Describe any activities carried out to completion that displayed innovation and can be shared with other states as “best practices”.

• What activity, if any, listed in the state’s original voting accessibility plan (application) that was not carried out to completion? What were the barriers or the reasons hindering completion of the activity?

• Describe any significant barriers and/or roadblocks to carrying out proposed activities and suggested solutions.

• Describe activities which involved collaboration with other organizations or groups, for example the Protection & Advocacy System within the state, disability advocacy groups, student groups, etc.

• Describe the total amount of money spent to carry out the activities for each mandated area. i.e. activity and amount spent on the activity

• If applicable, describe the continuity of activities. Have your organization’s activities been able to build upon earlier “start up” activities in an effective manner?

• Describe the feedback received from the citizens regarding the improvements and/or changes of voter accessibility issues within your state (if such information is available).

• Synopsis of funding carried over from previous fiscal years, i.e. - FY 2003, FY 2004, FY 2005, FY 2006, etc. and an explanation of spending trend.

• DUE DATE

The annual narrative report which includes expenditures for Fiscal Year XXXX (insert year) (October 1, XXXX – September 30, XXXX) funds is due no later than December 31, XXXX (insert year). Please submit the narrative report electronically to: (insert e-mail address). If unable to submit an electronic copy of the narrative report, please mail a hard copy to:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families

Administration on Developmental Disabilities

370 L’Enfant Promenade, SW

Mail Stop HHH 405-D

Washington, DC 20447

Attn: Insert Name & Title

• QUESTIONS ? ? ? ? ?

Should you have any questions regarding the Annual Narrative Report for Fiscal Year XXXX (insert year) (October 1, XXXX – September 30, XXXX), please contact (insert name) via the following:

Electronic Mail (E-mail): Telephone:

Insert Program Specialist E-mail Address Insert Telephone Number

• REPORT FORMAT

Please find below, an example of the essential information that should be included in the fiscal year XXXX (insert year) annual narrative report as outlined in the guidelines.

STATE: _____________________________________ FISCAL YEAR: _________ (October 1, XXXX – September 30, XXXX)

FISCAL YEAR AWARD AMOUNT: $________________________________

REPORT SUBMITTED BY: _________________________________________ _____________________________________

(Name) (Tile)

CONTACT INFORMATION: _____________________________________________________________________________

Telephone Number (E-mail Address)

DATE SUBMITTED: ___________________________

Mandate Area 1 To make polling places accessible to individuals with disabilities Goal/Activity outlined in EAID plan (application):
Description of activities in the EAID plan (application) carried out to completion	Description of activities that displayed innovation which can be shared as “best practices” with other states	Description of activities in the EAID plan (application) NOT carried out to completion & the barriers and/or reasons	Description of Significant Barriers and/or road blocks to carrying out activities & possible solutions	Description of collaborative efforts with other organizations or groups	Total amount of HAVA funding expended on activities in Mandate Area 1
Mandate Area 2 To provide the same opportunity for access and participation in the electoral process, including privacy and independence, to voters with disabilities as that which exists for voters with no disabilities. Goal/Activity outlined in EAID plan (application):
Description of activities in the EAID plan (application) carried out to completion	Description of activities that displayed innovation which can be shared as “best practices” with other states	Description of activities in the EAID plan (application) NOT carried out to completion & the barriers and/or reasons	Description of Significant Barriers and/or road blocks to carrying out activities & possible solutions	Description of collaborative efforts with other organizations or groups	Total amount of HAVA funding expended on activities in Mandate Area 2
Mandate Area 3 To provide training for election officials, poll workers, and election volunteers on how best to promote access and participation of individuals with disabilities in elections for Federal office; and Goal/Activity outlined in EAID plan (application):
Description of activities in the EAID plan (application) carried out to completion	Description of activities that displayed innovation which can be shared as “best practices” with other states	Description of activities in the EAID plan (application) NOT carried out to completion & the barriers and/or reasons	Description of Significant Barriers and/or road blocks to carrying out activities & possible solutions	Description of collaborative efforts with other organizations or groups	Total amount of HAVA funding expended on activities in Mandate Area 3
Mandate Area 4 To provide information to individuals with disabilities with information about the accessibility of polling places. Goal/Activity outlined in EAID plan (application):
Description of activities in the EAID plan (application) carried out to completion	Description of activities that displayed innovation which can be shared as “best practices” with other states	Description of activities in the EAID plan (application) NOT carried out to completion & the barriers and/or reasons	Description of Significant Barriers and/or road blocks to carrying out activities & possible solutions	Description of collaborative efforts with other organizations or groups	Total amount of HAVA funding expended on activities in Mandate Area 4
Continuity of the activities
Citizen feedback on voter accessibility issues within your state
Funding carried over from previous fiscal years – FY 200X - $ FY 200X - $ FY 200X- $ FY 200X- $ Spending trend

HAVAnarrativereportguidelines.doc