[EM] COMMENT SOUGHT ON UPDATE OF VOTING SYSTEMS STANDARDS (FWD)

[DEMOREP1 at aol.com]

*** Democracies Online Newswire - http://www.e-democracy.org/do ***


Full scoop at:
http://www.fec.gov/pages/standardsoverview.htm


From:
http://www.fec.gov/press/062801nvra.html

For Immediate Release
 June 28, 2001

Contact:

 Ron Harris

 Sharon Snyder

 Ian Stirton

 Kelly Huff



             COMMENT SOUGHT ON UPDATE OF VOTING SYSTEMS STANDARDS



 WASHINGTON—The Federal Election Commission (FEC) today unanimously
approved for public comment a draft of
 Volume I of the voluntary standards for computer-based voting
systems.



       The FEC published the first national voluntary standards for
computer-based voting systems in 1990.
 Independent testing laboratories use these standards to test voting
system hardware and software under a national
 program established by the National Association of State Election
Directors (NASED).  The FEC/NASED venture
 represents a unique federal/state partnership that resulted in the
assessment of a number of new voting systems under the
 existing standards.  NASED’s experience in the testing process led
the organization to ask the FEC to revise and update
 the standards four years ago.



       Begun in 1999, the FEC since has accelerated its revision
efforts in order to meet pressing demands of state and
 local governments.  Responding to these needs, special emphasis was
placed on addressing the following:



 ·        Accessibility - New criteria would make it easier for
voters with disabilities to cast ballots and for election officials
    with disabilities to operate the systems without assistance.



 ·        Internet Voting - New criteria would provide standards by
which the accuracy, reliability, security, and voter
    privacy afforded by Internet voting systems could be evaluated.



 ·        Feedback to Voter - Proposed criteria would expand existing 
provisions for offering feedback to the voter to
    indicate contests where an overvote or undervote is detected.



 ·        Quality Assurance and Configuration Management - Additional 
criteria would expand current vendor reporting
    of internal processes for assuring voting system quality and for managing 
the development, testing and release of
    system changes.



       The Commission plans to release draft testing requirements for comment 
in the fall.

             FEC Chairman Danny L. McDonald praised the collaborative
efforts of the Commission’s Office of Election
 Administration (OEA) and the VSS board in compiling the draft,
commenting, “It is important for both the public in
 general and election officials throughout the nation in particular,
not only to study this, Volume I of the VSS, but also to
 participate in developing Volume II -- test standards and criteria
for computerized voting.  By working together, we can
 help solve the technical problems experienced in our voting systems,
and I believe this document is a major step toward
 finding those solutions.”



             FEC Vice Chairman David M. Mason noted, “This document
points out that voting system failures are on the
 decline. But systems standards must be updated and implemented to
hasten the day when system-failures are news
 primarily because those problems and failures are so rare.  As the
Chairman said, this draft, and the comments received
 that will eventually compose Volume II, can go a long way toward
that goal.”



       Comments on the draft standards must be received no later than
60 days after the notice seeking comments has
 been published in the Federal Register.   Copies of the proposed
standards may be found on the FEC’s website at
 http://www.fec.gov/pages/standardsoverview.htm, or may be requested
by contacting the Office of Election
 Administration, 202-694-1095.  All comments should be addressed to
Ms. Penelope Bonsall, Director, Office of
 Election Administration, Federal Election Commission, 999 E Street,
N.W., Washington, DC 20463 and must be
 submitted in either written or electronic form.  Electronic mail
comments should be sent to VSS at fec.gov.