FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Silver Spring, MD – Over the coming weeks, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s (EAC) Technical Guidelines and Development Committee (TGDC) will hold a series of open meetings to discuss different aspects of the proposed Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG 2.0) Requirements. The three meetings will precede a scheduled September 19-20, 2019 in-person meeting of the TGDC.
The upcoming public meetings include the following:
- A review of the VVSG 2.0 Usability/Accessibility Requirements will be conducted on Monday, August 5, 2019 from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET.
- A review of the VVSG 2.0 High Quality Design, High Quality Implementation, Transparency and Interoperability Requirements will be conducted on Friday, August 16, 2019 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET.
- A review of the VVSG 2.0 Cybersecurity Requirements will be conducted on Thursday, September 5, 2019 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET.
All meetings will be hosted live via WebEx. All media who wish to attend must RSVP to Brenda Bowser Soder at [email protected] or 202-897-9285 in order to receive agenda details and call-in instructions. Recordings of each of the meetings are also available upon request.
In February, the four EAC Commissioners unanimously voted to publish the VVSG 2.0 in the Federal Register for a 90-day public comment period, which concluded on June 7, 2019 following a one-week extension. The EAC also hosted three public hearings during this time to gather feedback on the VVSG. Feedback received during this time are currently undergoing review by EAC staff and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
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.
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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