What is ESTEP?
Under the authority of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), the EAC began exploring the need to develop federal standards for election-supporting technologies in 2021. To achieve this goal, the EAC developed the Election Supporting Technology Evaluation Program (ESTEP), responsible for the creation of draft standards that can be used by voting system test laboratories (VSTLs) or other testing partners, creation of program manuals, administration of pilot programs and test campaigns, and reporting on the results of these campaigns. This program was formally established in 2022, through employing its first Director, and received congressional funding for the development of a full program in 2023. This additional funding permitted the EAC to conduct the Voluntary Electronic Poll Book Pilot Program, contract with VSTLs to conduct testing, employ four Election Technology Specialists to oversee program activities, and purchase additional program resources. On December 4, 2023, EAC Commissioners voted unanimously to formally adopt ESTEP as a permanent part of the agency. ESTEP aims to establish requirements and guidelines specific to election technologies that are not covered under the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG), which includes electronic poll books (EPBs), electronic ballot delivery (EBD) systems, election night reporting (ENR) systems, and voter registration (VR) systems.
Questions? Please Contact:
Election Supporting Technology Evaluation Program
[email protected]
Election Supporting Technologies
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Voluntary Electronic Poll Book Certification Program (VEPBCP)
This program is open to any organization that manufactures or develops electronic poll books for purchase or use in the United States.
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Electronic Ballot Delivery (EBD) Systems
Ballot delivery systems are used for the electronic delivery of ballot and voter information packets.
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Election Night Reporting (ENR) Systems
Election night reporting software facilitates the collection, aggregation, reporting, and secure sharing of accurate election results to the public in real-time, usually through an official website.
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Voter Registration (VR) Systems
A combination of hardware, software, firmware, materials, and documentation used to automate the voter registration process and secure voter information.
ESTEP Resources
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