FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Silver Spring, Md. – In order to ensure all stakeholders have the opportunity to submit their comments on the next generation of Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG 2.0), the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) has extended the public comment period until 5:00 p.m. EST on June 7, 2019.
Public comments may either be submitted through an online submission form at /vvsg-form/ or by mail to: Voluntary Voting System Guidelines 2.0. Principles and Guidelines Comments, U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 1335 East-West Highway, Suite 4300, Silver Spring Maryland, 20910. The email address [email protected] is no longer accepting comments. The new deadline has been updated in the Federal Register.
On February 15, 2019, the EAC’s four sitting Commissioners voted unanimously to publish the proposed VVSG 2.0 in the Federal Register for a 90-day public comment period, after which comments and feedback on the proposed document will be compiled and presented to the Commissioners for discussion and consideration. Since then, the EAC has hosted three public hearings to gather feedback on the proposed principles and guidelines.
VVSG are a set of Principles, Guidelines and Requirements against which voting systems can be tested to determine if the systems meet required standards. Some factors examined under these standards include functionality, accessibility, accuracy, auditability and security capabilities. The Help America Vote Act of 2002 mandates that EAC develop and maintain these requirements, and use them to test and certify voting systems. These guidelines are voluntary. States may decide to adopt them entirely or in part prior to the effective date.
The structure of the new VVSG reflects modifications proposed by the EAC’s Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC), which is comprised of election officials, voting system manufacturers, disability experts, cybersecurity experts, technology experts, and other key election stakeholders. The new guidelines are a high level set of principles that will be supplemented by accompanying documents that detail specific requirements for how systems can meet the new guidelines and obtain certification. The supplemental documents will also detail assertions for how the accredited test laboratories will validate that a system complies with those requirements.
For more information or to request an interview, please contact Brenda Bowser Soder at [email protected] or 202-897-9285.
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The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) was established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). It is an independent, bipartisan commission charged with ensuring secure, accurate and accessible elections by developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and serving as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration. EAC also accredits testing laboratories and certifies voting systems, as well as administers the use of HAVA funds. For more information, visit www.eac.gov.