Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 218 / Tuesday, November 14, 2023 / Notices 78009 

Title and OMB Number: ESTEP 

Manufacturer Registration Form, OMB 

Number Pending. 

Purpose: Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 

3501–3520), Federal Agencies must 

obtain approval from the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for each 

collection of information they conduct 

or sponsor. ‘‘Collection of information’’ 

is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 

CFR 1320.3(c) and includes Agency 

requests or requirements that members 

of the public submit reports, keep 

records, or provide information to a 

third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 

PRA requires Federal agencies to 

provide a 60-day notice in the Federal 

Register concerning each proposed 

collection of information, including 

each proposed extension of an existing 

collection of information, before 

submitting the collection to OMB for 

approval. To comply with this 

requirement, the EAC is publishing 

notice of the proposed collection of 

information set forth in this document. 

The EAC Election Supporting 

Technology Evaluation Program 

evaluates the security and accessibility 

of election-supporting technologies, 

including electronic poll books, voter 

registration systems, electronic ballot 

delivery systems, and election night 

reporting databases. 

The program is to publish one form. 

This is to be used to collect key 

information concerning electionsupporting technology manufacturers. 

The application for registration in the 

Election Supporting Technology 

Evaluation Program collects 

administrative information on 

manufacturers and their organizations. 

This information is collected to 

improve the quality of electionsupporting technology used in federal 

elections. 

Public Comments: We are soliciting 

public comments to permit the EAC to: 

• Evaluate whether the proposed 

information collection is necessary and 

sufficient for the proper functions of the 

Election Supporting Technology 

Evaluation Program. 

• Evaluate the accuracy of our 

estimate of burden for this proposed 

collection, including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used. 

• Enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of information to be collected. 

• Minimize the reporting burden on 

those who are to respond, including the 

use of automated collection techniques 

or other forms of information 

technology. 

Please note that comments submitted 

in response to this Notice are public 

record. Before including any detailed 

personal information, you should be 

aware that your submitted comments, 

including your personal information, 

will be available for public review. 

Respondents: Election Supporting 

Technology Manufacturers, State and 

Local Election Officials. 

Annual Reporting Burden 

OMB approval is requested for 3 

years. 

ANNUAL BURDEN ESTIMATES

Instrument 

Estimated 

number of 

respondents 

Total number 

of responses 

per year 

Average 

burden hours 

per response 

Annual 

burden hours 

ESTEP Manufacturer Registration Form ......................................................... 10 1 2 20 

Total .......................................................................................................... ........................ 10 ........................ 20 

The estimated cost of the annualized 

cost of this burden is: $1,681. 

Camden Kelliher, 

Deputy General Counsel, U.S. Election 

Assistance Commission. 

[FR Doc. 2023–25057 Filed 11–13–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4810–71–P 

ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION 

Request for Comment: Voluntary 

Electronic Poll Book Requirements 

Version 1.0 

AGENCY: U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission. 

ACTION: Notice, request for comment. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission (EAC) is publishing 

Version 1.0 of the Voluntary Electronic 

Poll Book Requirements (VEPBR v1.0) 

for public comment. The intent of the 

VEPBR v1.0 is to improve the 

functionality, security, and accessibility 

of electronic poll books used in Federal 

elections. The VEPBR v1.0 establishes 

baseline requirements for electronic poll 

book manufacturers to receive 

certification through the EAC’s Election 

Supporting Technology Evaluation 

Program (ESTEP). This version replaces 

the draft version (0.9) utilized during 

the EAC’s Voluntary Electronic Poll 

Book Pilot Program in 2021–2023. 

Participation in this program is 

voluntary. 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

5 p.m. eastern on Thursday, December 

14, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: To view the VEPBR v1.0, 

see: https://www.eac.gov/votingequipment/Election_Supporting_

Technology_Evaluation_Program. 

Comments on the proposed VEPBR v1.0 

should be submitted electronically via 

https://www.regulations.gov (docket IDs: 

EAC–2023–0005). Written comments on 

the proposed document can also be sent 

to the U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission, 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 

200, Washington, DC 20001, Attn: 

Election Supporting Technology 

Evaluation Program. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Elizabeth Beatrice, Election Technology 

Specialist, Election Supporting 

Technology Evaluation Program, 

Washington, DC, (202) 748–2298. Email: 

estep@eac.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose: Under the authority of the 

Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), 

the U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission (EAC) developed the 

Election Supporting Technology 

Evaluation Program (ESTEP). This 

Program establishes a protocol for 

testing critical election-supporting 

technologies to ensure their 

conformance with baseline Federal 

standards for security and accessibility. 

While participation in this Program is 

voluntary, EAC certification benefits the 

public and wider election technology 

field by supporting State and local 

election officials, increasing quality 

control and quality assurance of 

election-supporting technologies, and 

increasing voter confidence in the use of 

these systems. 

The VEPBR v1.0 will be used 

primarily by electronic poll book system 

manufacturers and Voting System Test 

Laboratories (VSTLs) as a baseline set of 

requirements for electronic poll book 

system security and accessibility to 

which States or Territories will add 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
78010 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 218 / Tuesday, November 14, 2023 / Notices 

their specific requirements, as 

necessary. Manufacturers will use these 

requirements when they design and 

build new e-poll book systems. VSTLs 

will refer to this document when they 

develop test plans for the analysis and 

testing of e-poll book systems to verify 

whether the system meets these 

requirements. States and Territories may 

utilize these requirements as a baseline 

and include additional requirements, as 

deemed necessary by their legislation or 

other regulations. 

Public Comments: Please note that 

comments submitted in response to this 

Notice are public record. Before 

including any detailed personal 

information, you should be aware that 

your submitted comments, including 

your personal information, will be 

available for public review. 

Respondents: Election Supporting 

Technology Manufacturers, Voting 

System Test Laboratories, State and 

Local Election Officials. 

Camden Kelliher, 

Deputy General Counsel, U.S. Election 

Assistance Commission. 

[FR Doc. 2023–25054 Filed 11–13–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4810–71–P 

ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION 

Sunshine Act Meetings 

AGENCY: U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission. 

ACTION: Sunshine Act notice; notice of 

public meeting agenda. 

SUMMARY: Public Meeting: U.S. Election 

Assistance Commission Technical 

Guidelines Development Committee 

2023 Annual Meeting. 

DATES: Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 8:30 

a.m.–5:00 p.m. ET. 

Registration for attending this event in 

person is required and must be 

submitted by November 20, 2023. The 

registration form will be available at 

www.eac.gov/events/2023/12/05/eactechnical-guidelines-developmentcommittee-annual-meeting-december-5- 

2023. 

ADDRESSES: National Cybersecurity 

Center of Excellence, 9700 Great Seneca 

Highway, Rockville, MD 20850. 

Information on where the public can 

watch the livestream of this meeting 

will be available at www.eac.gov/events/ 

2023/12/05/eac-technical-guidelinesdevelopment-committee-annualmeeting-december-5-2023. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kristen Muthig, Telephone: (202) 897– 

9285, Email: kmuthig@eac.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose: In accordance with the 

Government in the Sunshine Act 

(Sunshine Act), Public Law 94–409, as 

amended (5 U.S.C. 552b), the U.S. 

Election Assistance Commission (EAC) 

will conduct the 2023 annual meeting of 

the EAC Technical Guidelines 

Development Committee (TGDC) to 

discuss regular business of the board. 

Agenda: The EAC and TGDC 

members will hold an annual meeting to 

discuss program updates for EAC 

Testing and Certification and the 

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology (NIST) Voting Program. The 

meeting will also include the status of 

the Voluntary Electronic Poll Book Pilot 

Program, the annual review of the 

Voluntary Voting System Guidelines 

(VVSG), lab testing strategies, and more. 

The full agenda will be posted in 

advance on the EAC website: 

www.eac.gov/events/2023/12/05/eactechnical-guidelines-developmentcommittee-annual-meeting-december-5- 

2023. 

Background: Section 221 of the Help 

America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 (52 

U.S.C. 20971(b)) requires that the EAC 

to adopt voluntary voting system 

guidelines, and to provide for the 

testing, certification, decertification, and 

recertification of voting system 

hardware and software. 

The TGDC was established in 

accordance with the requirements of 

Section 221 of the Help America Vote 

Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107–252, codified 

at 52 U.S.C. 20961), to act in the public 

interest to assist the Executive Director 

of the EAC in the development of 

voluntary voting system guidelines. 

This meeting will be open to the 

public. 

Camden Kelliher, 

Deputy General Counsel, U.S. Election 

Assistance Commission. 

[FR Doc. 2023–25134 Filed 11–9–23; 11:15 am] 

BILLING CODE 4810–71–P 

ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION 

Request for Comment: Election 

Supporting Technology Evaluation 

Program Manual 

AGENCY: U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission. 

ACTION: Notice, request for comment. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission (EAC) is publishing the 

Election Supporting Technology 

Evaluation Program (ESTEP) Manual 

v1.0 for public comment. The intent of 

this Manual is to assist in the 

facilitation of Program activities and to 

serve as a guide for manufacturers and 

voting system test laboratories that 

select to participate in the Program. 

Participation in this program is 

voluntary. 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

5 p.m. eastern on Thursday, December 

14, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: To view the Manual v1.0, 

see: https://www.eac.gov/votingequipment/Election_Supporting_

Technology_Evaluation_Program. 

Comments on the proposed ESTEP 

Manual v1.0 should be submitted 

electronically via https://

www.regulations.gov (docket IDs: EAC– 

2023–0004). Written comments on the 

proposed document can also be sent to 

the U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission, 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 

200, Washington, DC 20001, Attn: 

Election Supporting Technology 

Evaluation Program. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Elizabeth Beatrice, Election Technology 

Specialist, Election Supporting 

Technology Evaluation Program, 

Washington, DC, (202)–748–2298. 

Email: estep@eac.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose: Under the authority of the 

Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), 

the U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission (EAC) developed the 

Election Supporting Technology 

Evaluation Program (ESTEP). This 

Program establishes a protocol for 

testing critical election-supporting 

technologies to ensure their 

conformance with baseline Federal 

standards for security and accessibility. 

While participation in this Program is 

voluntary, EAC certification benefits the 

public and wider election technology 

field by supporting State and local 

election officials, increasing quality 

control and quality assurance of 

election-supporting technologies, and 

increasing voter confidence in the use of 

these systems. 

This Manual establishes the minimum 

requirements for participation in this 

Program. If election-supporting 

technology manufacturers decide to 

participate, then they must conform to 

the Program Manual’s procedural 

requirements. 

Public Comments: Please note that 

comments submitted in response to this 

Notice are public record. Before 

including any detailed personal 

information, you should be aware that 

your submitted comments, including 

your personal information, will be 

available for public review. 

Respondents: Election Supporting 

Technology Manufacturers, Voting 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES