MEDIA ADVISORY
August 17, 2020

 

The roundtable is part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to offer additional resources regarding elections and the pandemic

The Commission hosted an interdisciplinary roundtable discussion of the TGDC recommended Voluntary Voting System Guidelines. The discussion was focused on (1) the cost implications of the proposed VVSG; (2) the effect of the new standards on the time in process for voting systems; (3) increasing the efficiency of testing; (4) the possible implementation time of the next iteration of the VVSG; (5) Innovation in voting technology; (6) Risks associated with voting system technology.

The EAC kicked off Cybersecurity Awareness Month with a live stream roundtable discussion on how to prevent cyberattacks and resources available for election officials developing incident response plans. The event brought together cybersecurity experts and local election officials who discussed the unique challenge hackers present, understanding what it means to be the target of a nation-state actor and the collaborative approach needed to update and strengthen jurisdictions’ cyber safeguards.

The Commission hosted a voting systems testing laboratory roundtable discussion on the TGDC's VVSG. Topics included: (1) Whether the recommend TGDC standards create appropriate functional standards that promote innovation; (2) How to evaluate innovative systems, for which there are no standards for purposes of certification; (3) The value & risks associated with OEVT; (4) The processes associated with testing to the VVSG and modifications; (5) VSTL usability benchmarks implications.

The Commission hosted an election official roundtable discussion of the TGDC's recommended Voluntary Voting System Guidelines. The discussion will be focused upon: (1)The usability and readability of the proposed standards; (2) The creation of a risk assessment for voting systems; (3) Stability of the standards vs. the need to create flexible standards that promote innovation;(4) Open Ended Vulnerability Testing (OEVT) and how it fits into the proposed standards.

Panelists provided examples of successful state voter list maintenance approaches, offered best practices and examined tools available to help election officials improve the accuracy of voter registration rolls.

The Commission hosted a VSTL roundtable discussion regarding the TGDC recommended VVSG. Topics included: (1) New research, technology, or methods in the areas of accessibility and usability; (2) usability and/or disability concerns with voting systems;

The Commission hosted a voting advocates roundtable discussion of the Technical Guidelines Committee’s (TGDC) recommended Voluntary Voting System Guidelines. The discussion will be focused upon the following topics: (1)The development of a threat assessment; (2) The evaluation of innovative systems; (3) Open Ended Vulnerability Testing (OEVT); (4) testing of voting system software; (5) How best to strike the balance between usability and accessibility.

The Commission hosted a voting systems manufacturer roundtable discussion TGDC's recommended VVSG. The discussion focused on the following topics: (1) The dominant business model for voting system manufacturers and their role as innovators; (2) How to evaluate innovative systems, for which there are no standards for purposes of certification; (3) The value and risks associated with OEVT; (4) The processes associated with testing to the VVSG and possible modifications, and more.

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) will convene a livestream roundtable discussion with cybersecurity experts and local election officials to discuss the unique challenge hackers present, understanding what it means to be the target of a nation-state actor and the collaborative approach needed to update and strengthen jurisdictions’ cyber safeguards.