Ease 3.0
Active
- Assistance listing
- 12.219
- Agency
-
Department of Defense
- Grant awards
- 48 $38,124,394 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- Effective Absentee Systems for Elections 2.0
- Assistance types
-
- Project Grant
- Cooperative Agreement
- Treasury account
-
- 97-0400-7-3-010
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of Defense funds research, development, and evaluation of electronic absentee voting systems and ballot delivery procedures for uniformed service members, overseas citizens, and their families under Assistance Listing 12.219 (Ease 3.0), with the most recent grant awards issued on July 31, 2024. The program supports state, county, and municipal governments in designing cost-effective electronic tools that improve ballot transmission, tracking, and return rates for Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) voters, with the explicit constraint that electronic systems cannot transmit completed ballots back to election offices. Recent awards included Project Grant H982102410003 ($1.765 million), Project Grant H982102410012 ($1.156 million), and Project Grant H982102410008 ($1.568 million), all obligated in July 2024.
The program demonstrates sustained activity with 48 total awards over a 13-year span and an accelerating cadence: 18 awards in 2023 and 15 in 2024, compared to 11 total in 2013 and 2 in 2012. Combined federal obligation reaches $38.1 million. Funding flows from two Department of Defense sub-organizations: the Defense Human Resources Activity, which leads with 34 awards totaling $27.8 million, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense, which accounts for 14 awards totaling $10.3 million. The portfolio is predominantly Project Grants (46 awards, 96 percent) with two Cooperative Agreements (4 percent).
Recent awards cluster in two cohorts with distinct performance timelines: grants obligated in June and July 2023 typically conclude June 2024, while awards from July 2024 extend performance periods through July 2026 or 2029. Award sizes range from $50 thousand to $1.765 million, with median values around $500 thousand to $750 thousand. Applicants are encouraged to develop ballot delivery systems and streamlined procedures for UOCAVA voters; funds must be dispersed within 60 months of award. Selection is competitive based on scientific, technical, and cost-benefit analysis.
A solicitation for Ease 4.0 (H98210-24-1-0001) closed on April 30, 2024, requesting research data on electronic absentee voting systems, improved outbound ballot transmission, tracking mechanisms, digital signature verification using Department of Defense Common Access Cards, and best-practice documentation to reduce UOCAVA voter failure rates across registration, ballot request, ballot delivery, marking, tabulation, and return-verification stages. No currently open opportunities are evident in the source. The average award processing time is 90 days, though complexity may extend timelines.
Objective and description
- Objective
1. Establish and ensure successful, sustainable, and effective methods to improve voting systems for voters protected by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA); 2. Increase the percentage of ballots successfully returned by
- Description
This is a single continuing award to: 1. Establish and ensure successful, sustainable, and effective methods to improve voting systems for voters protected by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA); 2. Increase the percentage of ballots successfully returned by UOCAVA voters to be either equal to, or greater to that of the general population; and 3. Collect and analyze data to increase the effectiveness of absentee voting procedures and systems for voters protected by UOCAVA.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Applicants are encouraged to develop ballot delivery systems or streamlined procedures for the processing of absentee voting materials for voters covered by UOCAVA.
- Beneficiary eligibility
The amount and period of performance of each selected proposal may vary depending on the research area and technical approach pursued by the selected recipient.
- Uses of assistance
Research the effectiveness of online ballot delivery systems as well as other related methods to streamline the absentee voting process for voters covered by UOCAVA.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Funds must be dispersed within 60 months of award.
How to apply
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Criteria for selection is described in the announcement
- Award procedure
Award decisions will be based on a competitive selection of proposals based on a scientific, technical, and cost benefit analysis.
- Time to approval or disapproval
The average time for processing an award is 90 days, but it can take longer depending on the complexity of the award and the number of awards issued.
Grant opportunities
| Opportunity | Status | Posted | Applications due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease 4.0 | Closed | ||
| Effective Absentee Systems for Elections 3.0 | Closed | ||
| Federal Voting Assistance Program | Past | — |
Grant awards
| Award | Recipient | Federal obligations | Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base award | Maryland State Board Of Elections | $746,202 | |
| Base award | Rhode Island Department Of State | $50,000 | |
| Base award | New Jersey Department Of State | $167,500 | |
| Base award | Secretary Of State | $350,000 | |
| Base award | Oregon Secretary Of State | $1,156,908 | |
| Base award | Louisiana Department Of State | $457,489 | |
| Base award | State Library & Archives Tennessee | $1,185,250 | |
| Base award | Secretary Of State | $515,510 | |
| Base award | — | $1,568,736 | |
| Base award | Volusia County Supervisor Of Elections | $63,000 |
Latest 10 of 48 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Council Of State Governments LTD. | $5,430,176 | 14% |
| 2 | Illinois State Board Of Elections | $3,424,840 | 9% |
| 3 | County Of Rockwall | $2,398,836 | 6% |
| 4 | Commonwealth Of Kentucky | $2,241,159 | 6% |
| 5 | Secretary Of State Of Arizona | $2,065,645 | 5% |
| 6 | County Of Lake Ohio | $1,963,101 | 5% |
| 7 | County Of Okaloosa | $1,881,339 | 5% |
| 8 | King County Elections | $1,818,700 | 5% |
| 9 | County Of Travis | $1,784,950 | 5% |
9 of 39 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | -$48,340 |
| FY2025 | $186,723 |
| FY2024 | $11,155,798 |
| FY2023 | $13,087,933 |
| FY2022 | $765,000 |
| FY2021 | $969,000 |
| FY2020 | $656,000 |
| FY2019 | $770,000 |
| FY2018 | $25,000 |
| FY2015 | $36,098,047 |
| FY2014 | -$75,000 |
| FY2013 | $10,531,898 |
Show all 12
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 12.219?
Assistance Listing 12.219 is Ease 3.0, a federal grant program run by Department of Defense.
What is the CFDA number for Ease 3.0?
Its CFDA number is 12.219: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 12.219 awarded?
48 grant awards under 12.219 have obligated $38,124,394 in federal funds to 39 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 12.219?
The recipients obligated the most under Ease 3.0 are The Council Of State Governments LTD. ($5,430,176), Illinois State Board Of Elections ($3,424,840) and County Of Rockwall ($2,398,836).
How much did 12.219 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 12.219 obligated $186,723 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 12.219?
No opportunity listed under 12.219 is open now. The latest, Ease 4.0, was posted on March 4, 2024.
On GovTribe
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