This page provides the primary source information from various federal agencies that assist states with maintaining election security and developing best practices for conducting elections. In addition, this page provides roles these agencies had in the 2020 General Election and the people in charge of the agency, and how a person is selected for that position (appointed, elected, voluntary, etc.)
This page also provides the primary sources of legislation, such as the Help America Vote Act of 2002, that provided funding and instructions on establishing these agencies and commissions.
(Directly from the About US page of the EAC website)
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) was established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). EAC is an independent, bipartisan commission charged with 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 audits the use of HAVA funds.
Other responsibilities include maintaining the national mail voter registration form developed in accordance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
HAVA established the Standards Board and the Board of Advisors to advise EAC. The law also established the Technical Guidelines Development Committee to assist EAC in the development of voluntary voting system guidelines.
The four EAC commissioners are appointed by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. EAC is required to submit an annual report to Congress as well as testify periodically about HAVA progress and related issues. The commission also holds public meetings and hearings to inform the public about its progress and activities.*
The purpose of EAC’s national voting system certification program is to independently verify that voting systems comply with the functional capabilities, accessibility, and security requirements necessary to ensure the integrity and reliability of voting system operation, as established in the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG).**
HAVA states that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) assists the EAC through its National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP), which provides recommendations to the EAC regarding laboratory accreditation. After the EAC receives the recommendations from NVLAP, EAC conducts a further review of the recommended laboratories to address non-technical issues such as conflict of interest policies, organizational structure, and recordkeeping protocols. After the EAC review, the Commission votes regarding full accreditation. Once the Commission votes to accredit a laboratory it is referred to as a voting system test laboratory (VSTL), and the information is posted at www.eac.gov.**
They must adhere to the EAC’s Quality Monitoring Program, which requires manufacturers to submit reports of any voting system irregularities that occur with EAC-certified systems. The EAC will also conduct perioding manufacturing facility audits and Quality Assurance audits to verify that the systems produced are the same as those certified and to make sure the manufacturers are following their own internal quality procedures. In addition, 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.**
The following information will be posted on the Voting System Certification section of EAC’s Web site:
The EAC also keeps the public informed by issuing program updates and providing the latest information in its electronic newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter send an e-mail to HAVAinfo@eac.gov or call the EAC toll-free at 1-866-747-1471.
A: No. The EAC will make all information available to the public consistent with Federal law. The EAC is prohibited under the Trade Secrets Act (18 U.S.C. §1905) from making the source code information available to the public. However, the test labs will examine the source code to ensure compliance with the voluntary voting system guidelines. Test plans, test reports, and other information about the test labs and the voting system manufacturers are available on www.eac.gov.**
* Directly from the About US page of the EAC website
** Taken directly from the FAQs of the Election Assistance Commission (EAC)
The Elections Assistance Commission has four people who are appointed by the President and then are confirmed by the U.S. Senate. All appointees were unanimously confirmed by the US Senate on their respective dates. Currently, and during the 2020 General Election, the confirmed appointees were:
Commissioner Benjamin W. Hovland, Chairman (Appointed by President Donald Trump) - February 4, 2019
Commissioner Donald L. Palmer (Appointed by President Donald Trump) - February 4, 2019
Commissioner Christy McCormick (Appointed by President Barak Obama) - January 15, 2015
Commissioner Thomas Hicks (Appointed by President Barak Obama) - January 15, 2019