U.S. Election Assistance Commission

WASHINGTON – The United States Election Assistance Commission (EAC) has issued the Quick Start Management Guide for Voting System Certification, which covers the process at the federal, state, and local levels. The guide is available at www.eac.gov, and it is being distributed to election officials throughout the nation.

“As the federal government takes on the new role of certifying voting equipment, it is important to make sure election officials and the public are informed about the new process, and how it will impact similar efforts at the state and local levels,” said EAC Chair Donetta Davidson.

The new guide covers certification procedures at the federal level and provides information about participating in the program. The guide provides suggestions for implementing effective certification procedures at the local and state level, including verification of non-technical issues such as qualification and ownership. It also includes information about acceptance testing and other security procedures.

The new guide is part of a series of management guides designed to highlight chapters of the EAC’s Election Management Guidelines. Before the end of 2007, EAC will issue Quick Start guides on acceptance, pre-election, and parallel testing, military and overseas voting, absentee voting, contingency and disaster planning, ballot design, developing an audit trail, and polling place/vote center management.

The full set of Election Management Guidelines and Quick Start guides on poll workers, voting system security, ballot preparation and introducing a new voting system are available at www.eac.gov. These guides are developed in collaboration with election officials and other election professionals who have firsthand experience in managing elections. To request copies or for more information, election officials should contact EAC at 1-866-747-1471 or send an email to HAVAinfo@eac.gov.

For information on EAC’s voting system certification program, including test labs, registered voting system manufacturers, voting systems that have been submitted for testing, test plans, notices of clarification, and other program-related information, visit www.eac.gov.

EAC is an independent bipartisan commission created by HAVA. It is charged with administering payments to states and developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and accrediting voting system test laboratories and certifying voting equipment. EAC also serves as a national clearinghouse and resource of information regarding election administration. The four EAC commissioners are Donetta Davidson, chair; Rosemary Rodriguez, vice chair; Caroline Hunter; and Gracia Hillman.

###