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What Are They?
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. Election Night Reporting systems can accompany a state’s specific voter registration system or software package, to make the process of Election Night Reporting quicker and safer for public access. Election Night Reporting Systems also typically bridge a partnership between election hardware and software, making them a crucial part of the election process.
Why Pilot These Systems?
The United States Congress passed the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) [HAVA02] to modernize the administration of federal elections and to establish the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to provide guidance to the states in their efforts to comply with the HAVA administrative requirements. Under the authority of HAVA, the EAC developed the Election Supporting Technology Evaluation Program (ESTEP) in 2022, responsible for the evaluation of technologies not covered under the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG). ESTEP is tasked with designing testable requirements and materials for standardizing the security, accessibility, and usability of election night reporting databases in the United States.
There are no federal standards governing the design, security, and setup of this critical aspect of the electoral process. Election night reporting, specifically, garners significant interest from the public as it includes the tabulation and counting process for votes in various states. Each state may have its own unique process, and accompanying technology that will need to be understood and verified.
Questions? Please Contact:
Election Supporting Technology Evaluation Program
[email protected]
Related ESTEP Resource Pages:
Election Supporting Technology Evaluation Program (ESTEP)