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Commissioner Christy McCormick

Contested Election in Virginia Shows the Power of Every Vote

A recent House of Delegates race in Virginia played out in the national spotlight due to its razor-thin margin, the back-and-forth results between candidates Shelly Simonds and David Yancey, and the political stakes associated with the ultimate winner. No matter which candidate ultimately is declared the next delegate to represent Virginia’s 94th district, the race has offered a powerful teaching moment about American elections and the impact of every single vote.
Friday, January 5, 2018
Former Commissioner Matthew Masterson

Election Security: Solutions and Opportunities

The increasing complex demands of securing elections and the resources available for officials will be the focus of the panel “Election Security: Solutions and Opportunities” during the upcoming EAC Summit: The 2018 Federal Election. This morning, the EAC announced the four expert panelists who will join Chairman Matt Masterson for that discussion
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
Recount Ready

Gary Poser, Director of Elections, Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State

We continue the “Recount Ready” series and kick-off the new year today with Gary Poser, the Director of Elections in Minnesota’s Office of the Secretary of State. Gary serves on both the EAC Board of Advisors and the EAC Standards Board. Gary has nearly three decades of experience in election administration at the state and local levels in Minnesota, a state that is no stranger to high-profile close elections, recounts and election contests.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Commissioner Christy McCormick

Election Efficiency & Integrity: Improving the Voter Experience

With so much available data, figuring out how to analyze and use it can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Ways to use the EAVS and other election research to improve elections will be the focus of the panel “Election Efficiency & Integrity: Improving the Voter Experience” during next month’s EAC Summit: The 2018 Federal Election. This morning, the EAC announced the four expert panelists who join me for this discussion.
Friday, December 29, 2017
Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS)

EAC Releases New EAVS Data Interactive

This week, the EAC released our first-ever Data Interactive using survey responses to the 2016 Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS). For the first time, election officials, academics, advocates, and other stakeholders can examine specific EAVS data not just at the state level, but at the local level as well.
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Former Commissioner Matthew Masterson

Witnessing the First Statewide Risk-Limiting Audit

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office and Arapahoe County allowed a few dozen people from across the nation to assist with the first statewide risk-limiting audit (RLA) in Colorado. EAC staff and leadership, including Chairman Matthew Masterson, Commissioner Hicks, Jerome Lovato and Ryan Macias, were among this crowd.
Friday, December 1, 2017
Voting Accessibility

Georgia’s Secretary of State: Front-line Leadership in Helping Veterans Vote

As the EAC wraps up our observance of National Veterans and Military Families Month, we spoke to Marine Corps Reserve Capt. Matt Mallalieu, Military Liaison for Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, about Secretary Kemp’s commitment to helping active duty service members and veterans across the Peach State.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Former Commissioner Matthew Masterson

Town Hall Meeting Connects Commissioners, Voters with Disabilities

Last week, Commissioner Christy McCormick and I, along with state and local election officials from Washington State, conducted a town hall discussion with voters with disabilities. The event took place at the 23rd annual conference of the Association of Programs for Rural and Independent Living (APRIL), in Spokane, Washington.
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Commissioner Thomas Hicks

Cybersecurity: “Detect, Defend, and Recover” at Heart of EAC’s Work

This week, I had the opportunity to address members of Congress about the work the U.S. Election Assistance Commission is doing to help America vote. My remarks came just days before the 15th anniversary of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which was enacted on October 29, 2002. That legislation created the EAC and remains the steadfast compass for our commission’s work.
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS)

Data-Driven Conversations and the EAVS

Auburn University and the Election Center hosted the “Inclusion & Integrity in Election Administration Symposium,” a series of data-driven conversations focused on improving the Election Assistance Commission’s (EAC) Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS). Panelists and those attending shared great insight and feedback about the EAVS and how the EAC could make the data more meaningful for election officials.
Friday, October 20, 2017
National Voter Registration Day

The Power of a Single Vote

In the political realm, unfortunately, our nation has become more and more divided. While close elections are not new, in recent years it seems more and more elections are divided by fewer and fewer votes. But like the townspeople who were divided over the fire truck, we CAN put aside political differences and be united. Along with our American will-help, can-do spirit, something that still unites us politically is that we believe in the power of the voting booth.
Monday, September 11, 2017
National Voter Registration Day

REGISTRATION->PARTICIPATION: Making Registration Accessible to All Americans

As National Voter Registration Day approaches on September 26, I would be remiss not to write a blog about the importance of registering to vote and making sure that all Americans are equally afforded that right. This is especially true for Americans with disabilities, men and women who are more likely to be turned away from registration because election workers are not properly trained on how to best serve this community.
Monday, September 4, 2017
Voting Accessibility

Crunching the Numbers to Help Voters with Disabilities and Election Officials

As the EAC wraps up our July series on the recognition of innovations in election accessibility, we caught up with Professors Lisa Schur and Douglas Kruse of Rutgers University. They recently issued a report entitled, “Disability and Turnout in the 2016 Election.” As in their past reports, the findings are invaluable additions of ways to improve the voting process for people with disabilities.
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
Commissioner Thomas Hicks

Election Threats are Universal Problem for Democracies

Last week I joined a number of European democracies for a forum to discuss challenges we all face to as a result of attempts by foreign governments and individuals to influence or meddle in democratic elections.
Monday, June 26, 2017
CI Scoop

EAC is the Starting Point for Those Seeking a Critical Infrastructure Primer

Do conversations about critical infrastructure sometimes seem like they are happening in another language? If so, today’s quick, but important, blog post is just for you. To help get your bearings with regard to critical infrastructure concepts and terminology, I hope you’ll check out the EAC’s new critical infrastructure resource, Starting Point: U.S. Election Systems as Critical Infrastructure
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Former Commissioner Matthew Masterson

EAC remains committed to providing language access resources

Last week EAC held our second Language Access for Voters Summit. The first summit, held last year, focused on building relationships and partnerships between election officials, advocates and voters to improve language services for voters.
Friday, June 16, 2017
Commissioner Thomas Hicks

EAC Board of Advisors Provides Vital Feedback in Minneapolis

Last week the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s Board of Advisors commission met in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Board of Advisors is composed of a diverse group of members ranging from election officials and government officials to college professors, computer scientists and activists. Each member brings a unique and important voice to the table and helps to shape our work to ensure accurate, accessible and secure elections.
Monday, May 29, 2017
Election Administration

Celebrating Innovative Veteran Engagement in Elections

As our nation recognizes May as Military Appreciation Month, we caught up with Deborah Clark, Supervisor of Elections for Pinellas County Florida, to talk about their “Vote in Honor of a Vet” program. Located on Florida’s west coast, Pinellas County is a 280-square mile peninsula bordered by the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay. The County has nearly 645,000 registered voters.
Thursday, May 25, 2017
CI Scoop

CI Scoop: History of Critical Infrastructure Designation

The definition of critical infrastructure has changed over time. The first formal federal definition of “critical infrastructure” was developed in 1996 when President Clinton signed Executive Order 13010. EO 13010 established a national commission on critical infrastructure.
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Former Commissioner Matthew Masterson

A Tourniquet Teachable Moment

Is there a simple elegant practice, technique, or procedure that has been known in elections for years that we are ignoring or setting aside in pursuit of a more complicated or technical approach to challenges we face? Could it be creating a more useable process through simple improvements to forms and ballots? Is it a different approach to voter education? Is it a new technique to recruit and train poll workers?
Monday, May 15, 2017
CI Scoop

A New Home Base for Critical Infrastructure Information

This series will regularly discuss critical infrastructure, the designation of elections as critical infrastructure, the issues surrounding the designation, the goal is to share what we know about critical infrastructure so our stakeholders can be more informed.
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Voting Systems Testing Updates

Voting System Testing Update 5.2.17

The “Voting System Testing Update” blog is an effort to keep everyone informed of the progress systems in the EAC’s Testing and Certification Program are making each week. We hope that this adds additional transparency to our process and allows stakeholders to get a weekly update about test campaigns that impact their jurisdiction.
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Maintenance Monday

List Maintenance: Wrapped Up, But Never Done

Accurate voter lists are essential to voter confidence in the electoral process. That’s why we recently focused a series of events, blogs, and other activities on helping state and local election leaders maintain accurate voter registration lists.
Monday, April 24, 2017
Former Commissioner Matthew Masterson

California works to improve the voter experience

Last week, I had the chance to visit Los Angeles County to get a closer look at the progress the county has made on the development of their new voting system that is designed to offer voters a variety of options on how to interact with and cast their ballot.
Friday, April 21, 2017
Commissioner Thomas Hicks

Recent Conference Sheds Light on Stakeholders' Election Concerns

The Election Assistance Commission’s Commissioners and staff know the many benefits of communicating regularly with state and local election officials. That’s why we devote a great deal of time traveling across the country sharing information about the EAC’s resources and asking election administrators how we can best help them run effective elections.
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Commissioner Christy McCormick

Whistle While You Work – March is List Maintenance Month

Spring cleaning is a bit of an art and a science – and so is list maintenance. The EAC is here to help with tools and best practices. March is our GamePlan17 "List Maintenance" month. Start by reviewing your plan (and if you don’t have one, now is the time to make one), check to be sure you are following all the legal requirements, be sure you are using the most up-to-date databases, and start sweeping and scrubbing. Check out our website for information and call us if you need help.
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS)

North Carolina Visualizes Elections Data

The North Carolina State Board of Elections recently created its own series of data visualizations showing detailed voter registration data – both National Voter Registration Act statistics and daily voter registration data going back to 2008 – as well as election results from November 2016. This is in addition to the already enormous amount of elections data the state includes on its website.
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
TGDC Meeting

Summary of February 2017 TGDC Meeting

On February 13th and 14th, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) held their first joint Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC) Meeting of 2017. The focus of the meeting was lessons learned by election officials in the 2016 Election; updates from VVSG constituency groups; presentation of proposed scope and structure of the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) version 2.0; and a presentation and discussion with the
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Commissioner Thomas Hicks

Commissioner Chairmanship Chapter Closes

At the end of this week, my tenure as Chair of the EAC will end. It has been a fantastic journey and a true honor to chair the agency tasked with assisting voters, states and territories in achieving the most secure election this nation has ever held. While there were certainly challenges and areas of concern last year, by all accounts the administration of the 2016 election was a success.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Voting Accessibility

Listening to Voters with Disabilities

Today, I would like to share a voting story we received from Sharon. As you will read below, although Sharon was eventually able to cast her ballot, she went to great lengths to make it happen. No one should have to face the difficulties that Sharon did to exercise their right to vote.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Commissioner Thomas Hicks

India Conference Spotlights Global Efforts to Expand Voter Access

Hearing about India’s extraordinary efforts to reach every voter reinforced my belief that each of our countries has a lot to learn from one other while we continue to improve our election administration, especially when it comes to ensuring that voting is accessible for everyone. The EAC’s voter rights cards and other efforts with the Accessible Voting Technology Initiative have produced almost 50 products that assist voters with disabilities. Most notably, the EAC helped wounded warriors cast
Monday, January 30, 2017
Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS)

The 2016 EAVS: What to Expect

At the end of June this year the EAC will release its 2016 Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS). As it has in the past, this report will include a ton of great election administration information, including data related to: Voter registration Military and overseas voting Absentee ballots Polling places and poll workers Provisional ballots Election Day activities and voting equipment
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS)

EAVS Data Improving Voter Experience, Driving Research

This week, we’ll look at how other stakeholders – other government agencies, academics and interest groups – use the EAVS data to better understand elections.
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Former Commissioner Matthew Masterson

How States Use EAVS Data

The EAC is working to streamline the EAVS data collection process, to make it easier for election officials to submit accurate and complete data. We are also working hard to ensure the data is usable for election officials once the report is issued. The data collected in EAVS can serve as a valuable tool for election officials to use as they analyze 2016 and work to update and improve their laws, processes, procedures and training.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Commissioner Thomas Hicks

Traveling to Cuba

Elections in the United States and all around the world. I traveled to Cuba on the type of trip that I had only read about in history books. I was a part of a State Department mission to facilitate dialogues on human rights.
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS)

More Guidance Provided as EAVS Data Collection Begins

We will provide monthly updates on the 2016 Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS) as well as related news, so look for more information about the survey in the New Year!
Monday, December 19, 2016
Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS)

Step-by-Step Videos Provide Guidance for EAVS

We plan to provide monthly updates on the EAVS as well as related news, so look for more information about the survey in the New Year!
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Former Commissioner Matthew Masterson

Vice-Chair Masterson: Tomorrow is E – 0

For the past days, months, and years you have been asking yourself what can go wrong? You have put plans in place to deal with those scenarios and then asked again what could go wrong? Your constant preparation will pay off - and already has as more than 40 million ballots have been cast early! - as millions more Americans head to the polls tomorrow and exercise their right to vote.
Monday, November 7, 2016
Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS)

Counties Providing Wait Times for Early Voting

According to data collected by Dr. Michael McDonald and the United States Election Project, at least 26 million voters (as of the morning of November 1) have already cast ballots for the Nov. 8 general election. And with early voting in full swing in many states this final week before Election Day, those numbers are increasing rapidly.
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Former Commissioner Matthew Masterson

Vice-Chair Masterson: Election Integrity & Security

This year’s presidential election story focuses on the integrity and security of the process. Fortunately, the protagonists in this story - your state and local election officials - rose to the occasion and are using the conversation to highlight the laws, policies, and procedures already in place to ensure a secure and transparent process.
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Former Commissioner Matthew Masterson

Vice-Chair Masterson: Election Day - Final Preparations

To do our part, the EAC is working with our federal partners at NIST, DHS and DOJ to provide information to help election jurisdictions address any specific cyber security threats relevant to this year’s Presidential Election. Through that partnership, and in collaboration with state and local election officials, we’ve shared suggested practices to better secure the election systems and procedures.
Monday, October 3, 2016
Former Commissioner Matthew Masterson

The Reality of Election Security

Recently there has been a lot of coverage regarding both election system and voting system security. While some of the stories failed to capture the election official perspective many, particularly local stories, did a great job capturing the facts behind the election process.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Former Commissioner Matthew Masterson

Vice-Chair Masterson: Legends of Elections

As we move one day closer to Election Day, I am reminded of one of the best pieces of wisdom ever shared with me. Former Ohio state and local election official Keith Cunningham liked to remind me, "…The one thing an election official can’t get more of is time. It’s their most precious resource." Election officials are savoring every hour, minute and second they have before Election Day ensuring every detail is managed, every system tested and secured and all registrations are entered.
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Former Commissioner Matthew Masterson

Vice-Chair Masterson: The Power of Language Access

At the summit Lance Gough, Director of Elections for the City of Chicago and Mee Moua from Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAAJ) gave summit talks. Their words do a far better job summing up the day and importance of that work than I ever could.
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Former Commissioner Matthew Masterson

Vice-Chair Masterson: Improve Experience for Voters With Disabilities

Last week the EAC held a public hearing to continue exploring ways to improve the voting experience for voters with disabilities. It was a fantastic opportunity for the Commission to hear from voters with disabilities about successes they’ve experienced since HAVA and the challenges they continue to face. We also heard from election officials who are tackling those challenges head on and working to improve access.
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Former Commissioner Matthew Masterson

Vice-Chair Masterson: Election Official as an IT Manager

Earlier this week I traveled to Columbia, South Carolina with EAC Testing and Certification Director Brian Hancock and Merle King from the Center for Election Systems at Kennesaw State University, at the invitation of SC Election Director Marci Andino, to teach a class to election officials from across the state entitled "Introduction to Information Technology for Election Officials".
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Former Commissioner Matthew Masterson

EAC & FVAP Team Up to Serve Election Officials and Voters

Last week, both EAC and FVAP had the pleasure of traveling to New Jersey to meet with Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno and advocacy groups from across New Jersey. During our visit, we also had the privilege of speaking at the annual New Jersey election official conference. It was a fantastic three days of listening and learning from and with the election officials of New Jersey.
Monday, March 28, 2016
Former Commissioner Matthew Masterson

Vice-Chair Masterson: #BeReady16

Last month at the meeting of the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) here in Washington, DC EAC rolled out the initial phase of our #BeReady16 campaign. #BeReady16 is an effort by the EAC to provide a broad level of information and support to election officials in the areas that are most pressing during this presidential election year.
Wednesday, March 9, 2016