Step one: Voting system manufacturers must register with the EAC.

Step two: Manufacturers must submit an application and select a federally accredited test laboratory to begin the testing process. 

Step three: Test laboratory submits draft test plan to EAC for approval. 

Step four: EAC approves test plan. 

Step five: Voting system is tested to the applicable standards. 

Step six: Testing concluded; draft test report submitted to EAC for approval. 

Step seven: EAC approves test report and issues initial decision on certification. 

Step eight: Test laboratory rebuilds voting system in a trusted environment, otherwise known as a “trusted build.” 

Step nine: Manufacturer provides software identification tools to EAC, which enables election officials to confirm use of EAC-certified systems. 

Step ten: Manufacturer provides voting system software to EAC repository. 

Step eleven: Manufacturer agrees in writing to all EAC certification conditions and program requirements. 

Step twelve: EAC certifies voting system.

The above steps represent a broad overview of the process. The EAC may reject test plans or reports and deny certification. A more detailed explanation is available in the Testing and Certification Manual.

Q: What does an EAC certification mean?
A: An EAC certified voting system has been tested by a federally accredited test laboratory and has successfully met the requirements of federal voting system standards and/or guidelines.

Q: What steps does the EAC take to help election officials use these systems?
A: An EAC-certified voting system’s performance on Election Day is impacted by a variety of factors, including pre-election testing, human interaction and poll worker training. There are thousands of election jurisdictions using a variety of voting systems, ballots and voting procedures. The EAC created election management materials to assist them with everything from logic and accuracy testing to poll worker training and accessibility procedures. The EAC has also produced training videos and ballot design best practices and images. These materials are available at www.eac.gov.

Q: Do states have to use voting systems that have been certified by the EAC?
A: According to the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), participation in EAC’s certification program is voluntary. Approximately 10 states require the use of an EAC-certified system.

Q: What is required of voting system manufacturers after a system is certified by EAC?
A: They must adhere to the EAC’s Quality Monitoring Program, which requires manufactures to submit reports of any voting system irregularities that occur with EAC-certified systems. The EAC will also conduct site visits and reviews of EAC-certified systems used in elections. Manufacturers have additional reporting requirements, including notification of any modification to an EAC-certified system.

Q: How will the EAC hold manufacturers accountable under its program?
A: Manufacturers will be held accountable through EAC’s Quality Monitoring Program and its decertification process, which would be the ultimate sanction against a manufacturer. If a system is decertified, the manufacturer may not represent the system as being certified, may not label the system as certified, and the system will be removed from the EAC’s list of certified voting systems. Election officials and the public will be notified about the decertification.

Q: How much information about the testing process is available to the public?
A: All test plans, test reports, administrative documents and EAC correspondence with program participants is available in the Voting System Certification section of the EAC Web site.

Q: Why does the manufacturer get to choose the test laboratory?
EAC does not have the legal authority to collect money from voting system manufacturers to pay for the testing of voting systems (31 U.S.C. §3302(b), Miscellaneous Receipts Act).