Election Assistance Commission 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Technical Guidelines Development Committee (the ``Development Committee'') was established to act in the public interest to assist the Executive Director of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) in the development of voluntary voting system guidelines. The Committee held their first plenary meeting on July 9, 2004. At this meeting, the Development Committee agreed to a resolution forming three working groups: (1) Human Factors & Privacy; (2) Security & Transparency; and (3) Core Requirements & Testing to gather and analyze information on relevant issues. These working subcommittees propose resolutions to the TGDC on best practices, specifications and standards. Specifically, NIST staff and Committee members will meet via the above scheduled teleconferences to review and discuss progress on tasks defined in resolutions passed at Development Committee plenary meetings. The resolutions define technical work tasks for NIST that will assist the Committee in developing recommendations for voluntary voting system guidelines. The Committee met in its seventh plenary session on December 4-5, 2007. Documents and transcriptions of Committee proceedings are available at: https:// vote.nist.gov/PublicHearingsandMeetings.html.

The Technical Guidelines Development Committee (the ``Development Committee'') has scheduled a plenary meeting for December 4th & 5th, 2006. The Committee was established to act in the public interest to assist the Executive Director of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) in the development of voluntary voting system guidelines. The Development Committee held previous meetings on July 9, 2004; January 18 and 19, 2005; March 9, 2005; April 20 and 21, 2005; September 29, 2005 and March 29, 2006. The purpose of the seventh meeting of the Development Committee will be to review and approve draft documents that will form the bases for recommendations for future voluntary voting system guidelines to the EAC. The draft documents respond to tasks defined in resolutions passed at previous Technical Guideline Development Committee meetings.

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission has submitted the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The information collection was previously published in the Federal Register on August 1, 2006, at 71 FR 43477. The notice allowed for a 60-day public comment period. Fourteen comments were received on this information collection, and modifications were made to improve and clarify the information collection based on those comments. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comments. Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until November 27, 2006. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.10. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

The EAC has drafted a procedural manual for its Voting System Testing and Certification Program. This program sets administrative procedures for obtaining an EAC Certification for voting systems. Participation in the program is strictly voluntary. The program is mandated by 42 U.S.C. Sec. 15371. The purpose of this notice is twofold: (1) To request public comment on the substantive aspects of the program (2) to request public comment on the proposed collection of information pursuant to the emergency processing provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act as submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). (1) Substantive Comments: The EAC seeks substantive comments from the public on its proposed procedural manual. Please submit comments consistent with the information below. Comments should identify and cite the section of the manual at issue. Where a substantive issue is raised, please propose a recommended change or alternative policy. This publication and request for comment is not required under the rulemaking, adjudicative or licensing provisions of the Administrative Procedures Act (APA). It is a voluntary effort by the EAC to gather input from the public on the EAC's administrative procedures for certifying or decertifying voting systems. Furthermore, this request by the EAC for public comment is not intended to make any of the APA's rulemaking provisions applicable to development of this or future EAC procedural programs.

Pursuant to sections 254(a)(11)(A) and 255(b) of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), Public Law 107-252, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) hereby causes to be published in the Federal Register material changes to the HAVA State plan previously submitted by American Samoa.

The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) Section 231 directs the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to provide for the testing, certification, decertification and recertification of voting systems. HAVA Section 221 mandates the development of voluntary voting system guidelines to support this process. In 2004, the EAC formed the Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC) to create an initial set of recommendations for the guidelines. The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) chairs the TGDC and NIST staff provides technical support for the TGDC's work. This committee of fifteen experts began their work in July 2004 and submitted their recommendations to the EAC in May 2005. EAC reviewed and revised these recommendations and published its proposed Voluntary Voting System Guidelines in June 2005, 70 FR 37378 (June 29, 2005), beginning the ninety-day public comment period. The Commission adopted the 2005 Voluntary Voting System Guidelines on December 13, 2005. The Guidelines published here will be used to test voting systems for national certification.

The Technical Guidelines Development Committee (the ``Development Committee'') has scheduled a plenary meeting for March 29, 2006. The Committee was established to act in the public interest to assist the Executive Director of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) in the development of voluntary voting system guidelines. The Development Committee held previous meetings on July 9, 2004; January 18 and 19, 2005; March 9, 2005; April 20 and 21, 2005; and September 29, 2005. The purpose of the sixth meeting of the Development Committee will be to review and approve draft documents that will form the bases for recommendations for future voluntary voting system guidelines to the EAC. The draft documents respond to tasks defined in resolutions passed at previous Technical Guideline Development Committee meetings.

Pursuant to sections 254(a)(11)(A) and 255(b) of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), Public Law 107-252, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) hereby causes to be published in the Federal Register material changes to the HAVA State plans previously submitted by Maryland and Puerto Rico.