This month, the EAC is highlighting:
- National Poll Worker Recruitment Day Customizable Graphics and Toolkit Available Now!
- Voting System Certification Updates and New Resources
- The EAC Announces the First Voting System Certified to VVSG 2.0
- New Resources: Voting Systems Testing and Certification in the United States and VVSG 2.0 Quick Reference
- Training Opportunity: Join the EAC and U.S. Access Board for Voting Accessibility Training on August 7
- U.S. Elections Survey: Election Office Staffing – Public Comment Period Open Until August 19
- In Case you Missed It: The 2024 EAVS Report and Data Now Available
- 2025 Data Summit Showcases Range of Election Administration Topics and Research
- Region 5 Standards Board and Local Leadership Council meeting focuses on shared experiences and training
- EAC On The Road: Staff Hold Trainings in Minnesota & New Mexico
National Poll Worker Recruitment Day Customizable Graphics and Toolkits Available Now!
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This day of action, created by the EAC, is designed to increase awareness and give state and local election officials, civic organizations, and others a chance to encourage citizens to sign up as poll workers in their communities.
To support participation, the EAC developed a social media toolkit with customizable Canva and PowerPoint Graphic Templates that can be edited to suit the requirements of jurisdictions and organizations. The graphics are designed to fit the standard image dimensions for X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, but they can also be adapted for printed materials, websites, and more. The toolkit also includes sample copy to get you started on a press release or other communications for the day.
The EAC also offers a Poll Worker Recruitment Lookup Tool to help people interested in signing up to be poll workers find information for their local election offices. Does the information for your jurisdiction need to be updated? Email [email protected] with the changes that need to be made.
Use the hashtag #helpamericavote or #helpamericavote2025 and join in the effort on August 12!
Voting System Testing and Certification Updates and New EAC Resources
The EAC Announces the First Voting System Certified to VVSG 2.0
In July, the EAC announced that Hart InterCivic’s Verity Vanguard 1.0 was the first voting system certified to the agency’s Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) 2.0.
“The first voting system certified to VVSG 2.0 marks a major milestone in the EAC’s commitment to advancing the next generation of voting systems. Hart Verity Vanguard 1.0 is the first system certified to these standards, but it will not be the last. The EAC staff has done great work to make this new standard a reality,” EAC Chairman Donald Palmer, Vice Chair Thomas Hicks, Commissioner Christy McCormick, and Commissioner Ben Hovland said in a joint statement.
Several steps remain before voters see this and other VVSG 2.0 certified systems at their voting location. These steps include state-level testing and certification, funding, procurement planning, staff training, and public testing are part of the process for jurisdictions to deploy new voting equipment. As this process moves forward, the EAC will continue to support election offices to ensure the systems in use at voting locations are secure and accurate.
On July 16, the EAC hosted a virtual meeting to discuss the VVSG 2.0 certification process with EAC staff, and representatives from Hart InterCivic, and SLI Compliance. A recording of the meeting is available on the EAC’s YouTube channel. The EAC’s Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC) held a meeting on July 2 and the first of two virtual working sessions on July 30 to discuss proposed changes for VVSG 2.1. Both meetings focused on gathering feedback from the members on the process to revise the VVSG and suggested edits. The second TGDC working session will be held on August 8 from 1-4 p.m. ET and live-streamed on the EAC’s YouTube channel. More information is available here.
Voting Systems Testing and Certification in the United States
Each state has its own laws and policies, but when it comes to voting system certification, they share responsibilities with the EAC at the federal level. This document shows how the state and federal programs work hand in hand to ensure safe and secure elections. It provides an overview of voting systems through definitions, standards, policies, and programs, and includes state-by-state statutes and regulations, if there is an EAC certification requirement, the required testing authority, federal standards, and a summary of states’ certification processes.
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VVSG 2.0 Quick Reference
VVSG 1.0 laid the foundation for a more advanced and adaptable set of standards introduced in VVSG 2.0. VVSG Comparison compares VVSG 1.0 and 2.0, highlighting key updates in security, accessibility, and system design. It’s a practical tool for election officials and stakeholders to support public communication around modern voting system standards.
Training Opportunity: Join the EAC and U.S. Access Board for Voting Accessibility Training on August 7
The U.S. Access Board and the EAC will be leading the webinar, “Your Voice, Your Vote—Accessible Polling Places and Election Supporting Technology” on August 7 from 2:30-4 p.m. ET. The training will cover data related to polling place accessibility during the 2024 election, including election-supporting technologies. Presenters, including Ben Jackson, the EAC’s Senior Subject Matter Expert for Accessibility, will discuss standards related to both physical and digital accessibility of polling places. The EAC’s accessibility web tools, research, and checklists designed to ensure polling place accessibility will also be featured. These tools, accessibility research, and more are available at www.eac.gov/voting-accessibility.
The EAC Wants to Hear from You! Public Comment Period for the U.S. Elections Survey: Election Office Staffing is Open Until August 19
The 60-day public comment period for the U.S. Elections Survey: Election Office Staffing has begun. The proposed survey asks election offices to gather information on their staffing and operational structure. It includes questions regarding staff composition, hiring capabilities, and perceived staffing needs. The comment period is the chance for election officials to provide any feedback on questions and improvements to the forthcoming survey. The deadline to submit a comment is August 19, 2025. The draft survey instrument and comments submission can be viewed here.
For any questions, please email [email protected].
In Case You Missed It: The 2024 EAVS Report and Data are Now Available
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The EAC released the 2024 Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS) report, the nation’s most comprehensive source of election administration data on June 30.
The report covers voter participation, voter registration, voter list maintenance, and election technology, as well as early and Election Day polling place operations for the general election for all 50 states, five U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia.
Find the report, data sets, and more information on the EAVS here.
2024 Data Summit: Election Administration by the Numbers Features Range of Election Research
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On July 9, the EAC and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Election Data and Science Lab hosted the 2025 Data Summit: Election Administration by the Numbers at MIT’s Samberg Conference Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The summit featured an overview of the 2024 EAVS report, the nation’s most comprehensive source of election administration data. During the summit, election officials, academics, and other stakeholders participated in panel discussions and lighting talks on innovative and groundbreaking election administration data and research. Topics included rural election administration, election funding, election administration data beyond the EAVS, voter list maintenance, workforce development, and more.
Standards Board and Local Leadership Council Region 5 Members Meet
Board members from Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont met in Cambridge, Massachusetts in July to discuss issues unique to their states. Region 5 EAC Standards Board and Local Leadership Council members shared experiences, fostered peer-to-peer learning, elevated regional issues to the EAC, and provided valuable insights that inform EAC’s programs and resources.
During the meeting, the EAC also led a training session on chain of custody best practices and facilitated a discussion on audit procedures. Discussion topics also included:
- Poll worker recruitment and retention
- Promoting uniformity in election practices
- Elevating local voices in national conversations
- Funding challenges and opportunities
- Effective strategies for reaching voters
These conversations highlighted shared priorities across the region and reinforced the value of continued collaboration through EAC convenings.
EAC Holds Trainings with Election Officials in Minnesota & New Mexico
In July, the EAC joined some amazing election officials in two states to offer training, information, and resources!
In Minnesota, election officials worked together to reconstruct a broken chain of custody and solve a mystery of “whodunnit” during the Get a Clue: Chain of Custody for Election Offices workshop led by the EAC Clearinghouse Division's Kim Smith and Ed Golembiewski. The workshop explored the roots of chain of custody in elections, how to plan and create forms that maintain it, and how to evaluate current practices.
In New Mexico, EAC Chairman Donald Palmer and Vice Chair Thomas Hicks offered information about the advisory boards that guide the work of our agency, and the EAC Clearinghouse led a training on Communicating with the Public about Elections.
During training, election officials practiced drafting key messages for essential topics, brainstormed ways to amplify their messaging, and created a holding statement for communicating during an emerging situation utilizing the EAC’s Election Scenario Test Deck.
EAC training is offered free of charge as a service to election officials. To learn more about EAC training, including how we can help election officials in your state, contact [email protected].
Thanks to the Minnesota Association of County Auditors, Treasurers and Finance Officers (MACATFO) and New Mexico Association of Counties - Clerks' Affiliate for their warm welcome!