Notice2021-22757
Draft of Promoting Access to Voting: Recommendations for Addressing Barriers to Private and Independent Voting for People With Disabilities
Primary source
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Published
October 21, 2021
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Institute of Standards and Technology
Abstract
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) requests public comments on the Draft Promoting Access to Voting: Recommendations for Addressing Barriers to Private and Independent Voting for People with Disabilities Document (Draft). The Draft was developed by NIST using information collected through the Request for Information (RFI) that was published in the Federal Register on June 16, 2021; review of reports, papers and other literature; and engagement with stakeholder organizations and election officials. The Draft was developed in response to NIST responsibilities set forth in Executive Order (E.O.) 14019, Promoting Access to Voting. Under section 7 of the E.O., Ensuring Equal Access for Voters with Disabilities, NIST is directed to evaluate the steps needed to ensure that the online Federal Voter Registration Form is accessible to people with disabilities and to analyze barriers to private and independent voting for people with disabilities and make recommendations to remove these barriers. The Draft is posted on the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov as well as the NIST website at: https:// www.nist.gov/itl/voting. The use of the eRulemakng Portal does not imply that the Draft is a regulation, nor mandatory guidance for federal agencies.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 201 (Thursday, October 21, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 201 (Thursday, October 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58255-58256]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-22757]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
[Docket Number: 211013-0207]
Draft of Promoting Access to Voting: Recommendations for
Addressing Barriers to Private and Independent Voting for People With
Disabilities
AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for public comments.
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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
requests public comments on the Draft Promoting Access to Voting:
Recommendations for Addressing Barriers to Private and Independent
Voting for People with Disabilities Document (Draft). The Draft was
developed by NIST using information collected through the Request for
Information (RFI) that was published in the Federal Register on June
16, 2021; review of reports, papers and other literature; and
engagement with stakeholder organizations and election officials. The
Draft was developed in response to NIST responsibilities set forth in
Executive Order (E.O.) 14019, Promoting Access to Voting. Under section
7 of the E.O., Ensuring Equal Access for Voters with Disabilities, NIST
is directed to evaluate the steps needed to ensure that the online
Federal Voter Registration Form is accessible to people with
disabilities and to analyze barriers to private and independent voting
for people with disabilities and make recommendations to remove these
barriers. The Draft is posted on the Federal eRulemaking Portal at
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> as well as the NIST website at: <a href="https://www.nist.gov/itl/voting">https://www.nist.gov/itl/voting</a>. The use of the eRulemakng Portal does not
imply that the Draft is a regulation, nor mandatory guidance for
federal agencies.
DATES: Comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on November
22, 2021. Written comments in response to this request for public
comment should be submitted according to the instructions in the
ADDRESSES and SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION sections below. Submissions
received after that date may not be considered.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Electronic submission: Submit electronic public comments
via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal.
[[Page 58256]]
1. Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> and enter NIST-XXX-XXX in the search
field,
2. Click the ``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields,
and
3. Enter or attach your comments.
<bullet> Email: Comments in electronic form may also be sent to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#92e2e4f3bff7fdd2fefbe1e6bcfcfbe1e6bcf5fde4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0e7e786f236b614e62677d7a2060677d7a20696178">[email protected]</span></a> in any of the following formats: HTML; ASCII;
Word; RTF; or PDF.
Please submit comments only and include your name, organization's
name (if any), and cite ``Promoting Access to Voting'' in all
correspondence.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about this request for
public comment contact: Kevin Mangold, NIST, at (301) 975-5628, or
email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#58133d2e3136761539363f37343c1836312b2c763f372e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f2b997849b9cdcbf939c959d9e96b29c9b8186dc959d84">[email protected]</span></a>. Please direct media inquiries to NIST's
Office of Public Affairs at (301) 975-2762. Users of telecommunication
devices for the deaf, or a text telephone, may call the Federal Relay
Service, toll free at 1-800-877-8339.
Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, NIST will make the Draft
available in alternate formats, such as Braille or large print, upon
request by persons with disabilities.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As stated in Executive Order 14019,
Promoting Access to Voting,\1\ the right to vote is the foundation of
American democracy. Under section 7 of Executive Order 14019, (Ensuring
Equal Access for Voters with Disabilities), NIST is directed to
evaluate the steps needed to ensure that the online Federal Voter
Registration Form is accessible to people with disabilities and
identify barriers to private and independent voting for people with
disabilities and make recommendations to remove these barriers. NIST is
seeking public comment on the Draft Promoting Access to Voting:
Recommendations for Addressing Barriers to Private and Independent
Voting for People with Disabilities document. The Draft was developed
by NIST using information collected through the Request for Information
(RFI) that was published in the Federal Register on June 16, 2021,
review of reports, papers and other literature, and engagement with
stakeholder organizations and election officials.
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\1\ Exec. Order No. 14019, Promoting Access to Voting, 86 FR
13623 (Mar. 07, 2021).
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Request for Comment
NIST seeks public comments on the draft Promoting Access to Voting:
Recommendations for Addressing Barriers to Private and Independent
Voting for People with Disabilities document and the draft
recommendations contained in it regarding both the Federal Voter
Registration Form as well as the barriers it has identified that
prevent people with disabilities from exercising their fundamental
rights and the ability to vote privately and independently. NIST is
seeking comment from persons with disabilities, disability advocacy
groups, assistive technology vendors and professionals, non-partisan
voting promotion groups, voting technology vendors, election officials
and other key stakeholders.
The Draft is available electronically from the NIST website at:
<a href="https://www.nist.gov/itl/voting">https://www.nist.gov/itl/voting</a> as well as <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. A
comment template is available at: <a href="https://www.nist.gov/itl/voting">https://www.nist.gov/itl/voting</a>. Use
of the comment template is suggested but not required. Interested
parties should submit comments in accordance with the DATES and
ADDRESSES section of this notice.
Comments containing references, studies, research, and other
empirical data that are not widely published should include copies of
the referenced materials. All submissions, including attachments and
other supporting materials, will become part of the public record and
subject to public disclosure. NIST reserves the right to publish
relevant comments publicly, unedited and in their entirety. All
relevant comments received will be made publicly available at <a href="https://www.nist.gov/itl/voting">https://www.nist.gov/itl/voting</a> and <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a>.
Personally identifiable information (PII), such as street
addresses, phone numbers, account numbers or Social Security numbers,
or names of other individuals, should not be included. NIST asks
commenters to avoid including PII as NIST has no plans to redact PII
from comments. Do not submit confidential business information, or
otherwise sensitive or protected information. Comments that contain
profanity, vulgarity, threats, or other inappropriate language or
content will not be considered. NIST requests that commenters, to the
best of their ability, only submit attachments that are accessible to
people who rely upon assistive technology. A good resource for document
accessibility can be found at: <a href="http://section508.gov/create/documents">section508.gov/create/documents</a>.
Authority: Exec. Order No. 14019, Promoting Access to Voting, 86 FR
13623 (Mar. 07, 2021).
Alicia Chambers,
NIST Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2021-22757 Filed 10-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P
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