Click here to visit the ESTEP Voluntary Electronic Poll Book Certification Program (VEPBCP) resource page.
This resource is designed to help election officials, manufacturers, and the public better understand the role of electronic poll books in modern elections—and how the EAC’s Voluntary Electronic Poll Book Certification Program (VEPBCP) supports secure, accessible, and standardized solutions. Whether you're exploring the basics of what EPBs do, how certification works, or who can participate, this page provides clear and concise answers to commonly asked questions about the program and its requirements. If you have additional questions that are not answered on this page, please contact VEPBCP.
Simply defined, electronic poll books, commonly known as e-poll books or EPBs, are laptops, tablets, or kiosks designed to replace paper poll lists, that access digital voter registration records for their representative jurisdiction. In contrast to a voting system, EPBs’ primary users are election workers and do not collect or tabulate cast vote records. EPBs were initially designed in an effort to automate the election process and alleviate the burden on election workers, who update voter registration records and evaluate a voter’s eligibility to participate in the election process. In recent years, these systems have evolved to serve a variety of administrative functions before, during, and after an election. EPBs can now be used to capture voter signatures, identify a voter’s ballot style or preferred language, detect ineligible voters, and extract data reports.
The Voluntary Electronic Poll Book Certification Program was adopted by EAC Commissioners on April 8, 2024. The EAC announced the official launch of this program on May 21, 2024, marking an exciting milestone in the history of federal testing and certification of election technology.
This program is designed to evaluate electronic poll books to federal standards for functionality, security, and accessibility.
Participation in this program is open to any organization that manufactures or develops electronic poll books for purchase or use in the United States, whether commercially or in-house.
Yes! Participation in this program is entirely voluntary, but those who wish to participate must conform to the program’s procedural requirements, outlined in the Election Supporting Technology Evaluation Program Manual. The manual and associated documentation are located on the ESTEP Manuals and Forms page.
Yes. Manufacturers will only be eligible after the EAC has approved their submission of the ESTEP Manufacturer Registration Form and the ESTEP Application for Participation Form. Fillable copies of both forms are located on the ESTEP Manuals and Forms page.
Yes. The process for electronic poll book testing & certification is entirely separate from voting system testing & certification. Thus, manufacturers previously registered under the EAC’s Voting System Testing & Certification Program will not be eligible for participation in the EAC’s Election Supporting Technology Evaluation Program until the aforementioned prerequisites have been met.
Materials for participation are located on the ESTEP Manuals and Forms page.
It improves the voter experience. Constant improvements to meet federal requirements will improve the overall voting experience by enhancing e-poll book integrity and usability.
It standardizes test procedures. A baseline set of testing standards will lessen the burden for test laboratories to evaluate e-poll books to multiple state regulations.
It assists election officials. This program removes the complications of conducting research and hiring technical experts to develop e-poll book requirements at the state or local level.
It lessens the burden on manufacturers. A unified set of testing standards will simplify system development, eventually allowing manufacturers to develop one product for all of their clients.
Yes. Manufacturers may indicate their preferred EAC-accredited test laboratory when submitting their application.
Since the processes between the EAC's Voting System Testing & Certification and Election Supporting Technology Evaluation Programs are entirely different, ESTEP's registered manufacturers can be found here.
Visit the ESTEP main page to find additional ESTEP-related resources.
Yes, the manufacturers will contract with the EAC-accredited test laboratories.
The timeline for testing is ultimately dependent on the manufacturer’s preparedness to enter the program and eagerness to resolve findings. Test campaigns could last anywhere from 3 to 9 months and vary based on a variety of factors.