The Help America Vote Act instructed EAC to develop voluntary voting system guidelines -- a set of specifications and requirements against which voting systems can be tested to determine if the systems provide all of the basic functionality, accessibility and security capabilities required of these systems.

On December 13, 2005, the EAC unanimously adopted the 2005 Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG), which significantly increase security requirements for voting systems and expand access, including opportunities to vote privately and independently, for individuals with disabilities.

The guidelines update and augment the 2002 Voting System Standards, as required by HAVA, to address advancements in election practices and computer technologies. These guidelines are voluntary. States may decide to adopt them entirely or in part prior to the effective date.

A proposed revision to these guidelines, known as the VVSG 1.1, was offered during a 120-day public comment period in the summer of 2009. Read the comments submitted through the online comment tool and by e-mail and mail. 

Voluntary Voting System Guidelines Version 1.1 (Drafts)

• VVSG 1.1 Volume 1 (PDF)

• VVSG 1.1 Volume 2 (PDF)

• Voluntary Voting System Guidelines Draft Version 1.1 Proposed Revisions and Comments

• VVSG 1.1 Notice in the Federal Register

Voluntary Voting System Guidelines Version 1.0 (2005)

• Volume 1 (PDF 2.06MB)

• Volume 2 (PDF 1.77MB)

  • Public Comments (PDF 496KB)

  • Summary of Changes

• Fact Sheet

• Frequently Asked Questions

TGDC Recommended Guidelines

• TGDC Draft Guidelines (comments)

• TGDC Draft Guidelines (PDF 4.85MB)

• 09/06/07 -- Press Release: Draft Voluntary Voting System Guidelines Delivered to EAC

• 08/31/07 -- Letter to EAC from the Technical Guidelines and Development Committee (TGDC) (PDF 276KB)

• Learn more about the TGDC

2002 Voting System Standards

• Voting System Standards Volume I (PDF 7.3MB)

• Voting System Standards Volume II (PDF 4.5MB)

• Fact Sheet

• 1990 FEC Performance and Test Standards for Punchcard, Marksense, and Direct Recording Electronic Voting Systems

Election Operations Assessment

The goal of the Election Operations Assessment is to produce a scientifically-founded risk assessment tool that will facilitate informed decision making by EAC and its Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC) when developing voluntary voting system guidelines. 

• Frequently Asked Questions

• Election Operations Assessment: Threat Trees and Matrices and Threat Instance Risk Analyzer (TIRA)

• Informational Videos for the Election Operations Assessment

• VVSG Ad Hoc Committee Report_SB

• Elections Operations Assessment Summarization

• Phase I Report

• Request for Information

Miscellaneous Information 

• NIST Response to Resolutions Adopted by EAC Boards 

• EAC Board of Advisors Resolutions

• EAC Standards Board Resolutions