UNITED STATES ELECTION 

ASSISTANCE COMMISSION

TESTIMONY

OF

GINEEN BRESSO, COMMISSIONER

U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION

BEFORE THE

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ADMINISTRATION,

Subcommittee on Elections

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2011

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

1201 New York Ave., NW – Suite 300

Washington, DC 20005

www.eac.gov
This information is property of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 

 1201 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005 

(202) 566-3100 (p), (202) 566-3127 (f), www.eac.gov 

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U.S. Election Assistance Commission 

Testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Administration 

Subcommittee on Elections 

March 17, 2011

Good morning Chairman Harper, Ranking Member Brady, and Members of the 

Subcommittee. I am pleased to be here on behalf of the U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission (EAC) to discuss the Commission’s operations and my observations as a 

Commissioner. 

There have been changes in the way elections are administered since the implementation 

of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). Some of these changes include states 

purchasing voting equipment to meet the new standards, deploying a computerized 

statewide voter registration database, and implementing procedures for provisional 

voting. 

During my tenure at EAC, I have witnessed many innovative and creative approaches in 

election administration. Some of the innovations I have seen at the state and local levels 

include the integration of technology into the administration of elections. For example, 

several states are using electronic poll books to check-in voters during an election which 

allows for this information to be updated instantly. Other states offer all voters, in 

addition to military and overseas voters, the ability to track the status of their absentee 

ballot electronically. Through a barcode on the ballot envelope, the ballot is scanned 

before it enters the mail system and after it is returned to the elections office. Election 

offices are also using technology to provide greater access to election-night operations 

such as, using the internet to provide a live video stream of vote tabulations and updates 

of election results on regular intervals. 

Many election officials have also embraced social media to communicate with voters and 

the news media about polling place hours, wait times and closures. Douglas County, 

Kansas, used Twitter during a local election in 2009 to inform voters of a polling place 

closure due to a fire. News outlets saw the feed and broadcast the news within minutes. 

Broward County, Florida and Forsyth County, Georgia posted early voting wait times on 

their website so voters could avoid lines. Some jurisdictions have also used mobile 

phone text messaging to coordinate Election Day activities with poll workers. 

As a Commissioner, one of my responsibilities is collecting these innovations and 

solutions from local and state jurisdictions and making them available to election officials 

throughout the nation in EAC’s clearinghouse. Election officials work diligently yearround and strive to provide excellent customer service to voters, despite shrinking 

budgets and fewer resources. EAC will continue to collect those solutions and share 

them, and lead national discussions on cost saving initiatives, shared resources and other 

issues that may affect their ability to conduct accurate and secure elections. 
This information is property of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 

 1201 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005 

(202) 566-3100 (p), (202) 566-3127 (f), www.eac.gov 

Page 3 

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

Testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Administration 

Subcommittee on Elections

March 17, 2011

COLLECTING AND SHARING SOLUTIONS

HAVA instructs the Commission to establish a “national Clearinghouse and resource for 

the compilation of information and review of procedures with respect to the 

administration of Federal elections.”

“...including the maintenance of a Clearinghouse of information on the experiences of 

State and local governments in implementing the guidelines and in operating voting 

systems in general; carrying out the duties described in subtitle B (relating to the testing 

certification, decertification, and recertification of voting system software and hardware; 

carrying out the duties in subtitle C (relating to conducting studies and carrying out 

other activities to promote the effective administration of Federal elections; carrying out 

the duties described in subtitle D (relating to election assistance), and providing 

information and training on the management of the payments and grants provided under 

such subtitle; carrying out the duties described in subtitle B of title III (relating to the 

adoption of voluntary guidelines); and developing and carrying out the Help America 

Vote College Program under title V.”

National Clearinghouse for Elections Categories 

Clearinghouse Materials Defined by Section 202 of HAVA: 

I. Documented experiences of State and local governments implementing the 

voluntary voting system guidelines and general information about the 

operation of voting systems. 

II. Information generated by the EAC’s Voting System Testing and Certification 

Program. 

III. Best practices, guidance, election management materials and research findings 

IV. Advisory opinions, training materials, audits, updates on the use of HAVA 

funds and HAVA reporting documents and reports. 

V. The Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) 

VI. Application information, training materials, best practices and information 

about recipients of the Help America Vote College Program. 

As tasked by HAVA to be the national clearinghouse of elections, EAC has taken the 

lead in collecting these innovative and modern solutions in elections, and providing this 

information to election officials and the general public in a central location at 

www.eac.gov. 

Information for the clearinghouse does not have to be generated only through research by 

the EAC. As the designated federal officer for the EAC Standards Board, I have a builtin group of election officials willing to share their insight and ideas. The most recent 

Standards Board meeting in Oklahoma City featured panels on cost savings initiatives, 
This information is property of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 

 1201 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005 

(202) 566-3100 (p), (202) 566-3127 (f), www.eac.gov 

Page 4 

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

Testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Administration 

Subcommittee on Elections

March 17, 2011

commercial-off-the-shelf hardware challenges, implementing the Military and Overseas 

Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act and how local media and election officials can work 

together to communicate with voters. Panelists were selected directly from the 

Standards Board membership whenever possible, and represented election officials from 

the state and local levels. Their ideas fostered discussions with the audience, also 

election officials, on approaches that may be applicable to other jurisdictions. 

In addition, during my tenure as chair, I observed that many local government entities 

were preparing for the flu season, particularly the threat of H1N1. Realizing that flu 

season could present challenges in staffing and preparing for an election, I asked election 

officials that had flu season contingency plans to submit them to EAC to be shared with 

their peers. EAC received preventative plans and approaches, which included common 

sense ideas like placing hand sanitizers in polling places, backup staffing strategies and 

coordination with local health departments. These contingency plans and others are 

posted on EAC.gov. 

During this past Federal election cycle, I furthered my commitment to supplement EAC’s 

clearinghouse, by taking the best ideas from the field and highlighting them after 

observing the primaries in Maryland and the District of Columbia and early voting in 

Georgia and Florida. 

Maryland and District of Columbia 2010 Primary Elections 

While in Maryland, I had the opportunity to learn more about Maryland’s electronic poll 

book system. Election judges demonstrated how the poll books were synchronized to 

reflect real time information (Maryland refers to poll workers as election judges) and how 

the election judge could direct a voter appearing at the wrong precinct to the correct one. 

Many commented that with each election, the familiarity of the electronic poll books 

make them easier for the election judges to use. Another election judge showed an 

evaluation form provided by the Maryland Board of Elections to facilitate feedback and 

suggestions for future polling place improvements, including layout and training. This 

was the first time I had observed the use of such a form, but recognized it as a simple, but 

effective, idea. 

During my visit to the Maryland State Board of Elections, staff and volunteers were 

conducting parallel testing, a process that duplicates a portion of the election under 

similar time and conditions as in the polling place. One person was casting ballots into 

the voting machine and two others were comparing those selections by hand counting the 

ballots. This process, which occurs on Election Day, informs election officials as to 

whether the voting system is operating the way it should in the field, as well as provides a 

method to determine whether malicious code may have been introduced into the voting 

system software. EAC is in the final stages of producing an online video designed to 

educate voters about parallel testing and how it contributes to making sure voting 
This information is property of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 

 1201 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005 

(202) 566-3100 (p), (202) 566-3127 (f), www.eac.gov 

Page 5 

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

Testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Administration 

Subcommittee on Elections

March 17, 2011

equipment works accurately. This is an example of a step that some election officials can 

take to bolster voter confidence by evaluating the operation of the voting system. 

In the District of Columbia, I stopped throughout the afternoon at polling places in 

different parts of the city not only to observe the voting process, and also to talk to poll 

workers about their role within the process. One poll worker explained the thought 

process that had gone into the arrangement of the polling place, to ease the traffic flow 

and ensure maximum privacy for the voters. At another polling location, the poll workers 

realized that the curbside voting bell was not easily heard and set up a relay system of 

workers to greet and assist those voters. 

At the end of the day, I went to the D.C. Board of Ethics and Elections office to observe 

the Election Night tabulation process. D.C. Board staff had set up a process which 

encouraged the public to observe the activity after the close of the polls. Voting machine 

cartridges began to arrive from the polling places and were unloaded out in a room with 

an observation window which made the process more transparent. Additionally, an 

information center was available for the public from which one could access camera 

feeds of the election night activities. The spokesperson also provided regular updates to 

the public and the media about the process. 

2010 Early Voting in Georgia 

I traveled to Georgia to observe the state’s early voting procedures as well as initiatives 

to assist military and overseas voters. Georgia is one of 32 states that offer some form of 

early voting. Early voting in Georgia begins at least 45 days before a general election or 

21 days before a municipal general election. 

I learned about the many ways Georgia is using technology to improve the process for 

voters. I visited the server farm, which supports Georgia’s My Voter Page (MVP) and 

the delivery of voter registration information between the counties and the Secretary of 

State’s office. Visitors to MVP can look up such information as their polling place 

location, status of their voter registration, or even view the sample ballot. There is a vote 

safe feature to offer anonymity to those voters who need to keep information confidential, 

such as victims of domestic violence. I was very impressed that the program was 

constructed internally requiring no additional funds. 

Georgia’s use of technology made for a smoother transition to implement the MOVE Act 

requirements, which include that all states provide military and overseas voters the ability 

to track the status of their voted ballot to ensure receipt by the election official’s office 

and have the option of receiving blank ballots electronically. I learned about another 

technological solution, the Election Day Issue Tracing system, which processes calls 

from election officials, voters and the general public. Calls are routed to experts who can 
This information is property of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 

 1201 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005 

(202) 566-3100 (p), (202) 566-3127 (f), www.eac.gov 

Page 6 

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

Testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Administration 

Subcommittee on Elections

March 17, 2011

answer questions and resolve issues. This year, there was a dedicated line established for 

people with disabilities who needed assistance during the voting process. 

I had the opportunity to visit local election offices in Fulton, Bibb and Chatham counties 

while in Georgia. I learned that Fulton County applies the same hiring process for county 

employees when hiring poll workers. The philosophy of the Fulton County director of 

elections is “No excuses. Just results.” Bibb County’s philosophy is to “touch ballots as 

little as possible.” Chatham County literally practices transparency by using a bag with a 

transparent back to store and seal memory cards. Election officials can verify the correct 

number of memory cards without ever breaking the seal or opening the bag. They follow 

the CASE process – Copy And Seal Everything. Each county’s philosophy emphasizes 

the importance of having public confidence in the election results. 

Early Voting and Election Day in Florida 

I visited eight counties in Florida in five days and it was apparent that commitments to 

transparency and election office partnerships are prevalent. My first stops were in Duval 

and Clay counties. Duval uses a high-speed mail sorter system that encompasses 

tracking, sorting and verification of signatures for all vote-by-mail ballots similar to the 

system used in Fulton County, Georgia. The Duval County website is set up to provide 

information easily, lending to greater transparency. For instance, visitors can easily find 

a comprehensive schedule for the Canvassing Board, early voting locations, as well as 

information about voters’ rights. Clay County, much like its neighbor, is committed to 

helping residents with the voting process. They partnered with area realtors to sponsor 

Move the Vote, which encourages county residents to register to vote or update 

registration after having moved. In addition to the office website, Clay County also uses 

Facebook and YouTube to share information. 

In Seminole County voters can download sample ballots, get candidate biographies or 

request and check the status of an absentee ballot. As recipients of a 2010 mock election 

grant from the EAC, Seminole County partnered with Crooms Academy of Information 

Technology and was able to sponsor the only Congressional debate for the candidates 

seeking election to represent the third Congressional District of Florida. In Orange 
This information is property of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 

 1201 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005 

(202) 566-3100 (p), (202) 566-3127 (f), www.eac.gov 

Page 7 

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

Testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Administration 

Subcommittee on Elections

March 17, 2011

County, a 2009 College Poll Worker grant from the EAC was used by the University of 

Central Florida, in partnership with Valencia Community College, to train poll workers 

through an online simulation on Second Life, a program recently highlighted on EAC’s 

blog. Students who participated received three course credits in civic engagement. 

Orange County built their electronic poll books in-house, saving approximately $3000 on 

the cost of each. 

Lee County’s absentee ballot tabulation process is similar to the one I observed in Fulton 

County, Georgia. Additionally, to familiarize voters with polling place locations, Lee 

County has an agreement with the Florida State Department of Transportation to place 

precinct signage throughout the county several weeks before Election Day. Comment 

cards are available at every early voting site to get voter feedback, as well as comment 

forms on Election Day. 

Miami-Dade County and Broward County have various materials in Spanish and Creole. 

Broward County partners with county schools so that students can work at polling sites 

and assist with technical calls on Election Day. Palm Beach County uses volunteers from 

local scout troops at the warehouse to help bring in bags with ballots and memory cards 

and sort them according to precinct. 

LOOKING FORWARD

I have appreciated having the opportunity to meet with election officials and poll 

workers, hear directly from them about the work that they do, and share their insights 

with others. These observations confirmed my belief that many of the best ideas in 

election administration come directly from election officials in the field. EAC’s national 

clearinghouse is an excellent opportunity to keep election officials abreast of ideas in 

other jurisdictions. To that end, EAC is establishing an online tool that will pair seasoned 

election officials with the profession’s newest members, providing an online exchange of 
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U.S. Election Assistance Commission

Testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Administration 

Subcommittee on Elections

March 17, 2011

ideas and solutions. Helping election officials at both the state and local levels connect 

with each other will create a network of experts who can support each other and their 

goal to provide customer service to voters and fosters discussion of ideas that could be 

used to improve processes in other jurisdictions. 

I will continue to encourage EAC stakeholders, especially election officials, to take 

advantage of the Commission’s website and to promote a national dialog of how election 

officials can continue to serve voters during difficult budget climates. 

This information is property of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 

1201 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005 

(202) 566-3100 (p), (202) 566-3127 (f), www.eac.gov