There are three HAVA-mandated federal advisory committees that help the EAC complete its mission. They are: (1) the Standards Board(opens in new tab), (2) the Board of Advisors(opens in new tab), and (3) the Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC). Each board is composed of experts from the field and representatives of the government. In 2021, the EAC also established the Local Leadership Council composed of two election official leaders from each state. 

HAVA mandates that the Standards Board and the Board of Advisors shall review the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) and best practice recommendations. The TGDC is tasked with drafting and recommending versions of the VVSG. After drafting and finalizing a recommended version of the VVSG, the TGDC presents the VVSG to the Executive Director of the EAC. The Executive Director then presents the VVSG to the Standards Board and the Board of Advisors, both of which review and provide comments to the Commission.

Election Related Acronyms and Phases

Acronym Name
Access Board Architectural and Transportation Barrier Compliance Board
ADA Americans with Disabilities Act
ANSI American National Standards Institute
COTS Commercial Off The Shelf
DOJ Department of Justice
EAC Election Assistance Commission
EAVS Election Administration & Voting Survey
EC Election Center
EMGS Election Management Guidelines
FACA Federal Advisory Committee Act
FVAP Federal Voting Assistance Program
HAVA Help America Vote Act
IACREOT International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials and Treasurers
IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
IFES International Foundation for Electoral Systems
IIMC International Institute of Municipal Clerks
L&A Logic & Accuracy Testing
MOVE Military and Overseas Voters Empowerment Act
NACO National Association of Counties
NACRC National Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and Clerks
NASED National Association of State Election Directors
NASS National Association of Secretaries of State
NCSL National Conference of State Legislatures
NGA National Governors Association
NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology
NVLAP National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program
NVRA National Voter Registration Act
TGDC Technical Guidelines Development Committee
UOCAVA Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act
USCCR United States Commission on Civil Rights
USCM United States Conference of Mayors
VAEHA Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act
VRA Voting Rights Act
VSTL Voting System Test Laboratories
VVSG Voluntary Voting System Guidelines

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