U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION

ANNUAL REPORT 2009

INTRODUCTION 1

The Commission � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 2

The Commissioners .

The Executive Director  

The Chief Operating Officer  

The Chief Financial Officer. 

The Office of Inspector General. 

EAC Federal Advisory Committees. 

Board of Advisors  

Standards Board  

Technical Guidelines Development Committee  

EAC OPERATIONS 7

Focusing on Human Capital  

Strengthening Internal Controls .

Public Meetings. 

Freedom of Information Act Report  

EAC FOIA Policy. 

The Office of Inspector General Activities  

Commissioner Outreach . 
HAVA PAYMENTS AND GRANTS 13

HAVA Funds. .

Requirements Payments   

Customer Service for States . 

Cost Savings in Elections  .

Funding Advisory Opinion Process. .

Auditing the Use of HAVA Funds   

Grants. .

The Help America Vote College Program. .

Mock Election Program Grants  .

Stakeholder Input for Future Grant Programs . 

The Accessible Voting Technology Initiative  .

The Voting System Pre-Election Logic and Accuracy Testing and Post-Election Audit Initiative  .

VOTING SYSTEM TESTING AND CERTIFICATION 19

Voting System Test Laboratory Accreditation. .

Voting System Certification . 

Quality Monitoring Program   

Communication and Clarification. .

Unified and Inclusive Approach. .

Voluntary Voting System Guidelines . 

Future Iterations   

Revisions to the 2005 VVSG. .

Federal Role Adds Transparency and Accountability   

RESEARCH, POLICY, AND PROGRAMS 25

Research. .

The 2008 Election Administration and Voting Survey  .

The Election Data Grant Collection Program   

Compendium of State Elections Laws   

Voter Information Web Sites. .

Policy   

The National Voter Registration Act   
Statewide Voter Registration Databases   

Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act   

Programs  .

Election Management Guidelines   

Language Accessibility Program. .

Evaluation of EAC's Educational Products . 

CLEARINGHOUSE ACTIVITIES 31

Web site Activity   

Assistance for Voters. .

Assistance for Election Officials. .

Training Videos   

Recruiting Poll Workers. .

Voting System Reports Clearinghouse   

Voting Accessibility. .

LOOKING FORWARD 37

Fiscal Year 2010 Activities. .

HAVA Funds and Grants   

Clearinghouse Resources   

Research, Policy and Programs   

Voting System Testing and Certification.. 

APPENDICES 41

2009 Tally Votes. .

Board Rosters   

Commissioners’ Biographies  .

Gineen Bresso Beach, Chair. .

Gracia Hillman, Vice Chair   

Donetta Davidson, Commissioner   

Executive Director’s Biography . 

Tom Wilkey. .
The EAC recognizes its dual role of providing resources to help states make 

improvements and assist election officials throughout the nation empower voters 

through access, collaboration and engagement

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U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 1

I N T R O D U C T I O N

H In the beginning of Fiscal Year 2009, the main focus of the 

U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) was to provid

information to voters and election officials as the nation 

prepared to elect a president in the November 2008 general 

election. Empowering voters to participate in the electoral

process and making sure they had the information they needed 

to vote was critical to the success of the election. Public

interest in the general election was high. According to EAC’s

2008 Election Administration and Voting Survey, more than 190 

million Americans were registered to vote, an increase of more 

than 14 million since the 2004 presidential election. EAC

assisted election officials in their efforts to educate voters 

about their options, as well as provide basic information about 

the election administration process, especially to new voters 

and those who had not voted in the past few election cycles

Web sites, electronic records and technology solutions 

have brought citizens closer to government. Collaborative

governance is evolving very quickly—increased access has 

rapidly become real time interaction, and the public is now 

having two-way conversations with government agencies in 

real time through social networking tools

Election administration provides one of the best 

examples of how rapidly a one-way conversation between 

government and citizens is disappearing. Until the 2000

presidential election, most Americans did not delve into how 

elections work or how their votes were counted. Usually, voters assumed that everything worked the way it should, and

the information they were provided was irrefutable. In most

cases, election results were static and provided to the public 

only by the traditional news media. However, after the 2000

election, the public was no longer satisfied with the status quo 

and demanded information about elections and how, when 

and where their votes were counted. The Help America Vote

Act of 2002 (HAVA) provided federal funds for the first time 

to states to make election administration improvements, and 

also included requirements that states publish plans outlining 

HAVA expenditures and voter education initiatives. HAVA also

created the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), an

tasked it with helping states implement improvements and 

making sure the public was informed about the changes taking 

place

EAC recognizes its dual role of providing resources to 

help states make improvements and assisting election officials 

throughout the nation empower voters through access, collaboration and engagement. The commission has embraced the

concept of collaborative governance and is working to break 

down communication barriers between the federal government and America’s voters. The information gathered and data

collected about U.S. elections is owned by the public. EAC

goal is to make it as easy as possible to access, query and share 

resources about election administration in the United States

Many election officials are already having two-way, 

real-time conversations with their voters. They use Twitter

and Facebook to rapidly deliver information directly to voters 

about poll closures, weather interruptions and reminders 

about polling place hours. They reach young voters with

videos on YouTube, as well as post information about voting 

system performance and audit results on Web sites

In addition to providing information for voters, EAC’s role 

of certifying voting equipment also requires public disclosure 

about everything from the development of voting system 

guidelines to information about program participants and 

activities. EAC developed its voting system certification and

test laboratory accreditation programs with the knowledge 
2 U.S. Election Assistance Commission www.eac.gov

that public confidence is critical to the election process, and 

that confidence comes from an understanding of the process 

and access to information

To meet the requirements for disclosure and transparency, EAC has dedicated a large portion of www.eac.gov to provide information about the voting systems program. Visito

are able to access basic information, such as lists of accredited 

laboratories and registered manufacturers, as well as more detailed documents generated throughout the process. Program

updates and related material are posted frequently, sometimes 

several times a day

As federal government agencies work to comply with the 

President's Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government, EAC will look for solutions and ideas from the public, 

state and local governments, and from other federal agencies

We recognize that increased transparency brings heightened 

accountability. However, on behalf of America’s voters and

election officials, we will continue to find ways to make data 

interactive and share policy ideas, best practices and solutions, 

as well as seek input and share the decision-making process

EAC’s organizational changes, budget allocation, and overall 

strategic approach will go hand in hand with initiatives to 

engage the public about election administration and to make 

sure we provide information and resources to enable Americans to successfully cast their votes

The 2008 Federal Election

The 2008 federal election had clear successes: election officials 

on a broad scale embraced election management practices 

that are critical to making sure voters are able to successfully 

participate in our electoral system. They also incorporated

lessons learned from the 2008 primary elections. For example,

as a result of long lines during the primaries, officials worked 

to address the equal distribution of voting equipment and poll 

workers throughout their jurisdictions. Contingency planning

will always be important in elections – having extra ballots, 

implementing a plan for troubleshooting voting system issues, 

and setting up precincts to allow for maximum traffic flow

Aggressive voter education efforts must also continue to address changes in states' laws, procedures, and polling place 

locations

Looking forward, EAC anticipates that voter registration 

practices will be a key election administration topic during 

2009 and beyond. HAVA requires each state to have a statewide voter registration database, which certainly impacts the

registration process because it is the gateway to participation 

for the voter. EAC has taken a lead role in assisting election

officials, policy makers and voters to develop future guidance about the databases, including holding a public hearing 

about the databases in FY 2009 and the research conducted 

by the National Academies of Science (NAS). EAC will use

the NAS research as we work to issue updated guidance that 

will address overall maintenance and administrative best 

practices

The Commission

EAC is an independent, bipartisan agency created by the Help 

America Vote Act (HAVA). It assists and provides guidance

to state and local election administrators in improving the 

administration of elections for federal office. EAC provides

assistance by disbursing federal funds to states to implement 

HAVA requirements, auditing the use of HAVA funds, adopting 

the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG), and serving as a national clearinghouse and resource of information 

regarding election administration. EAC also accredits voting

system testing laboratories and certifies, decertifies and recertifies voting systems

The Commissioners

EAC commissioners are Gineen Bresso Beach, chair; Gracia 

Hillman, vice chair; and Donetta Davidson. There is one vacancy on the commission. Commissioners, who are nominate

by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, may serv

only two consecutive terms. Commissioners serve staggered

terms. No more than two Commissioners may belong to the

same political party. Commissioner Beach joined EAC in October 2008, filling the vacancy created when former Vice Chair

Caroline Hunter resigned. Former Chair Rosemary Rodriguez

resigned in February, 2009

The Executive Director

Thomas Wilkey was named executive director of EAC in May 

2005 by a unanimous vote of the commissioners. He was

unanimously reappointed to the post in June 2009 for another 

four-year term. Duties include managing daily operations,

preparing program goals and long-term plans, managing VVSG

development, reviewing reports and studies and overseeing 

the appointment of EAC staff members and consultants

Chief Operating Officer

In May 2008, Alice P. Miller joined EAC as its chief operating

officer. Ms. Miller oversees the day-to-day operations at EA

in the following program areas: Voting Systems Testing and 

Certification; HAVA Research, Policy, and Programs; Election 

Administration Improvement Programs; Administration; and 

Human Resources. She also works with the executive director
U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 3

to develop and integrate policies and procedures to improve 

efficiency and transparency. Ms. Miller is the former executive director of the District of Columbia Board of Election

and Ethics. During her 12-year tenure, she was responsible for

overseeing and managing all aspects of elections, from voter 

registration to ballot access for candidates and measures. She

holds a Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of 

Law and a Bachelor of Arts from Boston College

Chief Financial Officer 

In February 2009, Annette Lafferty joined EAC as its first 

chief financial officer. Ms. Lafferty oversees the day-to-da

financial operations at EAC including Grants Management, 

Accounting, Budget, and Procurement. She is responsible for

agency internal controls and reporting on performance. M

Lafferty has been in federal financial management for over 

fifteen years at the U.S. Department of Education, the Federa

Aviation Administration, and the Corporation for National and 

Community Service. Ms. Lafferty also worked as a contracto

at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developmen

and General Services Administration. She holds a Master of

Business Administration in Finance and Investments from the 

George Washington University, a Master of Arts in Psychology 

from Marymount University, and a Bachelor of Liberal Studies 

from Boston University

The Office of the Inspector General

EAC Office of Inspector General (OIG) seeks to provide value 

through its work, which is designed to enhance the economy, 

efficiency and effectiveness of EAC. OIG also seeks to detect

and prevent fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement in programs and operations. OIG clients include the commissioners

and executives of EAC, the Congress, the Office of Management and Budget, the Government Accountability Office, 

state governments, other federal entities and the public

EAC Federal Advisory Committees

HAVA established a 37-member Board of Advisors and a 

110-member Standards Board to help EAC carry out its 

mandates under the law. HAVA Section 221 established the

Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC) to help 

EAC develop the VVSG. These governing boards provide valuable input and expertise in forming guidance and policy. I

addition to annual meetings, EAC also uses a Virtual Meeting 

Room for its advisory committees to facilitate a transparent 

and efficient way of receiving input. The Virtual Meeting Room

is available at www.eac.gov, and all comments made by boar

members are available to the public. Virtual Meeting Room notices are also posted in the Federal Register to notify the public

about the comment sessions

Board of Advisors

The Board of Advisors includes members appointed by the following groups, as specified in HAVA (two members appointed 

by each): National Governors Association; National Conference of State Legislatures; National Association of Secretaries 

of State; The National Association of State Election Directors; 

National Association of Counties; National Association of 

County Recorders, Election Officials and Clerks; The United 

States Conference of Mayors; Election Center; International 

Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials, and Treasurers; the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights; and Architectura

and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board

Other members include representatives from the U.

Department of Justice, Public Integrity Section of the Criminal 

Division and the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division; 

the director of the U.S. Department of Defense Federal Votin

Assistance Program; four professionals from the field of science and technology, one each appointed by the Speaker and 

the Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, an

the Majority and Minority leaders of the U.S. Senate; and eigh

members representing voter interests, with the chairs and the 

ranking minority members of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on House Administration and the U.S. Sen

Committee on Rules and Administration each appointing two 

members

The Board of Advisors elects a chair, vice chair and secretary from its members. Officers serve for a term of one year,

and may serve no more than two consecutive terms in any 

one office. Officers are Jim Dickson of Washington, D.C., chai

Keith Cunningham of Ohio, vice chair; and Terri Hegarty of 

Michigan, secretary

The EAC Board of Advisors participated in two virtual 

public meetings. On May 11-15, 2009, they provided input

about Phase I of the draft Election Operations Assessment of 

Voting Systems. On September 9-10, board members provided

input on five draft chapters of the Election Management 

Guidelines. The Board held its annual meeting June 2-4, 2009

in Washington D.C. The following motions were passed at th

June meeting: 

n Motion 2009-01 adopted the recommendations of the 

Special Committee to Review the Structure of EAC Board 

of Advisors Meetings
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Motion 2009-02 approved and accepted the Voting Systems Standards Committee recommendations regarding 

the proposed Election Operations Assessment

Motion 2009-03 concurred with the draft Election Data 

Collection Grant Program Evaluation Report and recommended further evaluation of data on page 41

Motion 2009-04 adopted the Voting System Standards 

Committee’s recommendations that the revision to the 

2005 VVSG be numbered Version 3.1 instead of Version 3

Motion 2009-05 adopted the Voting System Standards 

Committee recommendation regarding VVSG Volume I 

Section 3.3.1-e, as proposed with the date of 20

Motion 2009-06 requested that VVSG Volume I Section 

3.3.1-e include the language “non-visual access” as appropriate when defining alternative means for voting an

casting ballots

Motion 2009-07 amended the date included in VVSG

Volume I Section 3.3.1-e from January 1, 2013, to Januar

1, 2011

Motion 2009-08 recommended that EAC create guidance 

regarding the needs of people with several disabilities, 

types of personal assistive technology switches, and best 

practices for poll workers in jurisdictions serving those 

voters. The following revisions to the VVSG were also

adopted: 

 Sections 3.3.4 (b) and (c) be changed to read “Th

accessible voting system shall provide an industry 

standard jack used to connect a personal assistive technology switch to the voting system. As of

January 1st, 2013, systems submitted for complete 

end-to-end testing shall meet this requirement.”

 Added an exception to Section 3.3.1 (c): “Thi

requirement shall not apply to personal assistive 

technology required to comply with 3.3.4 (b) – support for non-manual input

Motion 2009-09 approved and adopted recommendations 

regarding accessibility submitted by the Voting System 

Standards Committee

Motion 2009-10 stated that the draft resolution submitted 

by Secretary of State Chris Nelson regarding a fiscal analysis for the VVSG be referred to the Voting System Standards 

Committee to work out how to provide the board this 

information before Version 4.0 is published for commen

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Motion 2009-11 recommended that EAC convene meetings with local and state election officials to explore how 

federal laws impact the cost of elections

Motion 2009-12 requested that EAC compile a report 

regarding the status of all resolutions that have been 

presented to EAC for consideration by both the Standards 

Board and the Board of Advisors

Motion 2009-13 commended members who have left the 

Board since the 2008 meeting and thanked them for their 

service

Motion 2009-14 recommended that a resolution be 

prepared thanking Chair Chris Thomas for his service on 

behalf of the board

Motion 2009-15 recommended that the standard in Section 3.3.4-c be changed according to the Voting Syste

Standards Committee’s recommendation. “The Acc-VS

shall provide features that enable voters who lack fine 

motor control or the use of their hands to submit their 

ballots privately and independently without manually 

handling the ballot. Voting equipment or systems currently in use are not subject to these accessibility requirements. As of January 1st, 2013, systems submitted fo

complete end to end testing shall meet this requirement.

Standards Board

The Standards Board consists of 110 members; 55 are state 

election officials selected by their respective chief state election official and 55 are local election officials selected through 

a process supervised by the chief state election official. HAVA

prohibits any two members representing the same state to be 

members of the same political party

The board elects nine members to serve as an executive 

board, of which not more than five are state election officials, 

not more than five are local election officials, and not more 

than five are members of the same political party. The executive board officers are: Dan English, of Kootenai County, Idaho,

chair; Jim Silrum of North Dakota, vice chair; and Brad King of 

Indiana, secretary

The board participated in a virtual public meeting 

September 9-18, 2009, to review and comment on five draft 

chapters of the Election Management Guidelines, and held 

its annual meeting February 26-27, 2009, in Orlando, Florida

At the board's August 6-7, 2009 meeting in Phoenix, Arizona 

about the VVSG, members adopted six resolutions

Resolution 2009-01 urged EAC to refine the Election 

Operations Assessment project to better meet the goal of 

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U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 5

advising EAC about the next iteration of the VVSG, and 

that the final deliverable is written in plain language

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Resolution 2009-02 requested that EAC implement a 

regular schedule of VVSG adoption on five-year intervals

Resolution 2009-03 recommended that EAC use the same 

questions in the 2008 Election Day Survey instrument in the 

2010 version; improve existing questions; eliminate questions of little elections value; complete all work for the 2010 

survey no later than August 2009; and establish a formal 

decision-making process governing the development of the 

survey instrument and that it include election officials

Resolution 2009-04 recommended that EAC staff update 

the appropriate subcommittee of the Standards Board via 

conference call regarding the status of the VVSG, and that 

the Executive Committee provide regular updates to the 

entire board

Resolution 2009-05 requested that EAC provide the board 

an opportunity to review and comment on all future iterations of the VVSG prior to adoption

Resolution 2009-06 recommended that EAC commissioners and staff research ways to ensure continuity for the 

board and that the designated federal officer provides 

this plan to the board prior to the assignment of a new 

designated federal officer

Board materials, resolutions, roster, charter and other 

information are available at www.eac.gov under the Abou

EAC section

Technical Guidelines Development Committee 

HAVA mandates that the Technical Guidelines Development 

Committee (TGDC) help EAC develop the VVSG, a task that 

was completed in May 2005. The VVSG are voluntary and each

state retains the prerogative to adopt these guidelines. The

TGDC has already completed a draft of the next iteration of 

the VVSG, and EAC and the National Institute of Standards 

and Technology (NIST) are reviewing the first round of comments submitted

By law, the chairperson of the TGDC is the director of 

NIST. The TGDC is composed of 14 other members appointed

jointly by EAC and the director of NIST. Members include

representatives from EAC Standards Board, EAC Board of Advisors, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance 

Board, American National Standards Institute, Institute of 

Electrical and Electronics Engineers, The National Association 

of State Election Directors (two representatives), and other 

individuals with technical and scientific expertise related to 

voting systems and voting equipment

To view meeting minutes, roster, resolutions and other 

related material visit vote.nist.g
In addition to the election preparation activities, the EAC also strengthened its internal 

operations to achieve more effective management, accountability, and control of its 

financial and program operations

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U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 7

E A C O P E R A T I O N S

H Early in Fiscal Year 2009, in anticipation of the federal 

election, EAC allocated resources to program areas that 

provide training and management materials to election officials and information and language assistance materials to 

the public. Those efforts included creative approaches such as

increasing Web site bandwidth and public meeting webcasts 

to deliver resources. The commission also dedicated resources

to develop the next iteration of the Voluntary Voting System 

Guidelines (VVSG) and for ongoing activities in the federal 

government’s first Voting System Testing and Certification Program. The commission’s FY 2009 appropriation was

$17,959,000, which included a pass through of $4 million for 

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

In addition to the election preparation activities, EAC 

also strengthened its internal operations to achieve more effective management, accountability, and control of its financial 

and program operations. The roadmap to improvement was

formalized upon the adoption of the commission’s five-year 

Strategic Plan 2009-2014, which included five strategic goals

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Communicate timely and accurate information on the 

effective administration of elections for federal office and 

on the operations and services offered by EAC

Deliver and manage federal funds effectively

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Identify and develop information on areas of pressing 

concern regarding the administration of elections for federal office, issue recommended improvements, guidance, 

translations, and best practices as required by HAVA, and 

carry out responsibilities under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA)

Build public confidence in elections by testing and certifying voting systems to improve system security, operation, and accessibility

Achieve organizational and management excellence

Based upon the goals of the Strategic Plan, EAC directed 

resources and support to the corresponding program areas, 

which enabled EAC staff to make tremendous progress during FY 2009: three voting systems received EAC certification; 

development of the next iteration of VVSG is well underway; 

grants were issued to support college poll worker and mock 

election programs; and important research was conducted 

about how, where and when Americans vote. States also

received valuable resources from EAC, including best practices 

for voter information Web sites and additional Quick Start 

Management guides about administering elections. EAC will

continue to support these key program areas
8 U.S. Election Assistance Commission www.eac.gov

FY 09 Budget $17,959,000

Voting Technology 

$5,641,403

Clearinghouse 

$2,068,744

HAVA Funds Management

$3,771,377 EAC Boards 

$435,653

EAC Administrative 

$5,915,403

21%

33%

31%

3%

12%

Focusing on Human Capital

In accordance with the Office of Management and Budget’s 

Acquisition Workforce Development Strategic Plan for Civilian 

Agencies – FY 2010-2014 and the President’s March 4, 2009, 

Memorandum on Government Contracting, EAC has a Roles 

and Responsibilities policy. The purpose of the policy is to

maximize the skills of its employees by streamlining internal 

operations and clearly communicating to staff the roles of the 

commissioners and the executive director. The policy is reiterated in the Strategic Plan, which includes an organization

chart clearly defining areas of authority and responsibility and 

the reporting hierarchy

Recognizing the need for additional support in the 

Voting System Testing and Certification program area, 

EAC hired two computer engineers to work directly with 

the test laboratories and the manufacturers. They provide

an additional layer of quality control as well as enable other 

program staff to devote more time to their respective areas 

of expertise

In FY 2009, a chief financial officer and an accounting 

director were hired to strengthen financial operations and provide additional support to staff. The addition of these experts

enabled EAC to begin the process of implementing internal 

controls in compliance with Office of Management and Budget 

Circular A-123, Management’s Responsibility for Internal Control, and the Federal Financial Management Improvement Act 

(FFMIA) A-123, which requires managers of federal agencies to 

take responsibility for assessing internal controls over financial reporting. The additional expertise also allowed current

employees to focus solely on programs and initiatives that best 

matched their skill sets

A grants manager was hired to supervise all grant programs, including the distribution of HAVA funds and the very 

popular Help America Vote College Poll Worker and Mock 

Election grant programs. The additional support of EAC’s

grant programs was immediately evident—71 organizations 

requested more than five times the funding that was available 

for the College Poll Worker program, and 47 applications were 

submitted for Mock Election grants, totaling $2.2 million in

requests

Strengthening Internal Controls

For FY 2009, the agency received an “unqualified,” or clean, 

opinion on its financial statements and Annual Financial Report. An “unqualified” or clean opinion indicated that the auditor feels the agency followed all accounting rules appropriately

and that the financial reports are an accurate representation 

of the agency’s financial condition. These results are a marked

improvement over the “Disclaimer of Opinion” the agency 

received for its FY 2008 financial statement audit

Upon joining EAC, the chief financial officer and the 

accounting director began aggressively finalizing financial 

management policies and procedures. Consequently, by June

30, 2009, EAC produced reliable financial statements and 

implemented a schedule of periodic reconciliations. EAC also

made tremendous progress in resolving findings from its first 

financial audit, which was issued in FY 2008:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 9

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Financial management policies and procedures were 

finalized

Performance measures in the Strategic Plan are addressed in the Agency Financial Report for FY 2009

Financial operations were realigned and a chief financial 

officer department was established with experienced 

financial management staff, including a certified public 

accountant

All outstanding accounting issues were resolved, including potential Anti-Deficiency Act and Purpose Statute 

violations

Financial statements were produced in conformance with 

generally accepted accounting principles

A schedule of reconciliations was established and followed

Funds control measures were implemented

Risks in financial management were assessed

Revenues and expenditures were properly recorded and 

accounted for to permit the preparation of reliable financial reports and to maintain accountability over assets

Public Meetings

EAC held nine public meetings in FY 2009, including a forum 

held at the National Press Club entitled Journalists and Election 

Officials: Working on Behalf of America’s Voters, which included 

a discussion about how election results are collected and 

reported to the public. Other public meeting topics included

statewide voter registration databases, cost saving practices in 

election management, and assistance for military and overseas 

voters. Public meetings are available to the public via webcast,

and meeting agendas, minutes and testimony are also posted 

at www.eac.g

Freedom of Information Act Report

In FY 2009, EAC continued to effectively and efficiently provide 

information to the public through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. In FY 2009, EAC received 18 request

Fifteen requests were processed and completed, two requests 

were withdrawn and one request was not processed

1

1

 The request not processed during FY 2009 was resubmitted and completed 

in December 2009�

The median processing time was 12 days; and the average 

was 25 days� The range in number of days for response was 

0 to 193 days� Of the 17 requests completed in FY 2009, 11 

were completed within 20 days� Five requests were completed 

within 40 days, and in three instances partial responses were 

provided within 20 days� One request was completed in 193 

days, and the requestor received partial responses throughout 

the duration�2

There were no instances in which EAC did not comply 

with a request, no appeals were made, there were no instances 

where a court reviewed a decision to withhold, no administrative appeals were made, and there were no expedited review 

requests� 

In FY 2009, three EAC employees processed FOIA requests� 

EAC spent approximately $30,000 processing FOIA requests 

in FY 2009� EAC granted fee waiver requests on all 17 FOIA 

requests� There were no fee waiver adjudications� 

EAC withheld documents in 10 instances; 1 instance 

under FOIA exemption 3; 7 instances under FOIA exemption 

5; and 2 instances under FOIA exemption 6� The information 

withheld included internal memoranda, personnel files, and 

confidential business information� 

EAC’s FOIA regulations, instructions for submitting a request, and the FOIA Reading Room are available to the public 

at www�eac�gov� 

2 To complete this FOIA request, the EAC sent documents that may have 

contained privileged information to third-parties for review, per Executive Order 

12600—Predisclosure notification procedures for confidential commercial 

information. The large volume of documents delayed the process; however, the

requestor received partial responses as soon as third party reviews were completed

EAC FOIA Policy

(a) The commission will make the fullest possible disclosure of records to the public, consistent with the rights of 

individuals to privacy, the rights of individuals and other entities with respect to trade secrets and commercial or financial 

information entitled to privileged and confidential treatment, 

and the need for the commission to promote free internal 

policy deliberations and to pursue its official activities without 

undue disruption

(b) All commission records shall be available to the public 

unless they are specifically exempt under this part

(c) In the interest of efficiency and economy, the commission’s preference is to furnish records to requesters in 

electronic format, when possible

(d) To carry out this policy, the commission has designated 

a Chief Freedom of Information Act Officer (Chief FOIA Officer)

The Office of Inspector General Activities

EAC Office of Inspector General (OIG) strives to promote 

economy, efficiency and effectiveness in EAC programs. To accomplish this goal, the OIG conducts regular audits of recipients of grant funds distributed by EAC, annual financial audits
10 U.S. Election Assistance Commission www.eac.gov

of EAC’s operations, and periodic reviews and audits of EAC 

program operations. The primary recipients of grant funds

distributed by EAC are states that have received the largest 

sums of money under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) 

grant programs. In addition, the OIG conducts investigations

in response to allegations against EAC, its grant recipients, or 

third parties involved in EAC programs

In 2009, the OIG conducted four audits of states that 

received HAVA funds. Generally, the OIG found that the state

audits showed improvements in the states’ handling of HAVA 

funds in that the dollar value of questioned costs was reduced

However, the audits reveal lingering issues related to proper 

documentation of purchases, equipment inventories and 

personnel time reimbursed with HAVA funds. The state audits

resulted in $2,826,500 in questioned costs, $870,182 in additional program funds, and 34 findings and recommendations 

for improvements

The OIG conducted two audits and three evaluations of 

EAC’s programs and operations in FY 2009. The OIG did not

complete any investigations during this period. The reviews

of EAC programs and operations resulted in 28 findings and 

recommendations for improvements

In addition, the OIG issued its annual assessment of 

EAC’s top management challenges. As a part of EAC’s FY

2009 financial statement audit, the OIG reported on the top 

management challenges facing the agency. A total of four

challenges were reported. Two had been previously identified:

performance management and accountability and financial 

management and performance. The OIG identified progress

that had been made by EAC to address these two challenges as 

well as work that was needed to fully address these concerns

The OIG also identified two new challenges—information 

technology management and security and human capital 

management. The first was due largely to multiple reports

issued identifying significant weaknesses in EAC’s information 

technology security and its failure to comply with FISMA. The

latter was based largely on issues revealed in the two most 

recent employee surveys conducted by EAC

Each of these reviews is available on the OIG’s Web site, 

www.eac.gov/eac_ig.

Commissioner Outreach

On Election Day 2008, the commissioners and Executive Director Wilkey were in the field, observing the election process� 

Chair Beach traveled to New Mexico and Colorado; Vice 

Chair Hillman was in Florida; Commissioner Davidson was in 

Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio; and Executive Director Wilkey 

observed activities in Los Angeles County, the largest voting 

jurisdiction in the nation� The executive director observed 

occasional interruptions, such as flooding in Los Angeles 

County, and the contingency plans in place to quickly address 

the situation� Commissioner Davidson visited some of the new 

vote centers in Indiana� There were a few logistical issues, but 

they were quickly resolved� Vice Chair Hillman visited MiamiDade County and watched the chain of custody process from 

the storage facility to the polling place unfold� Commissioner 

Beach visited precincts in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and she 

watched the central count tally process in Denver, Colorado� 

Executive Director Wilkey observed some long lines during 

peak hours and Vice Chair Hillman observed the same conditions at some precincts during early voting, but both reported 

that voters waited patiently� These local observations are of 

great value to EAC as we work to develop best practices and 

election management guidelines� 
H H H H H H H H H H H H H
In FY 2009 the EAC established several initiatives to increase efficiency in the 

disbursement and reporting of Section 251 funds

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U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 13

H A V A P A Y M E N T S A N D G R A N T S

HAVA FUNDS

H EAC Grants Management Division is responsible for 

distributing, monitoring, providing technical assistance to 

states and grantees on the use of funds, and reporting on 

requirements payments and discretionary grants to improve 

administration of elections for federal office. The office also

negotiates indirect cost rates with grantees and resolves audit 

findings on the use of HAVA funds.

From the passage of HAVA through FY 2009, Congress has 

appropriated almost $3.2 billion to support states in improving

the administration of federal elections. Overall, EAC and the

General Services Administration (acting on EAC’s behalf ) have 

disbursed a total of $3,183,860 billion to the 50 states, four 

U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. HAVA stipulat

that EAC disburse these grant funds to states in advance and 

that states use the interest earned on the advanced funds for 

HAVA-authorized purposes. Since the initial disbursement of

funds in 2003, states have reported interest in the amount of 

$279 million, making the aggregate available to states for allowable activities $3.46 billion

Allowable activities include improving the administration 

of federal elections, primarily by upgrading systems for casting 

votes and for registering voters in statewide voter registration systems. HAVA funds are also used for implementing

provisional voting; training election officials, poll workers, 

and voters; improving polling place accessibility; providing 

voter information at the polling places; providing language 

assistance; setting toll free telephone lines; and establishing 

identification requirements for first-time voters who register 

to vote by mail, and other activities that help improve the 

administration of federal elections

As of the 2008 reporting deadlines, states reported aggregate total expenditures of approximately $2.26 billion, or

76% of total federal funds disbursed (71% including accrued 

interest): 

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

$1.6 billion on voting system

$354 million on voter registration systems

$155 million on election administration improvements

$77 million on educating voters and recruiting and training election workers

$34.2 million on uncategorized election administration

activities

$29 million on polling places

$3.6 million on provisional votin

Requirements Payments

To qualify for a HAVA Title II, Section 251 requirements payment, 

states filed a certification with EAC affirming that the state:

n

n

n

n

Filed and implemented a plan for uniform, nondiscriminatory administrative complaint procedures required by 

HAVA Section 402;

Appropriated matching funds equal to “5 percent of the 

total amount to be spent for such activities (taking into 

account the requirements payment and the amount 

spent by the state)...”; 

To the extent that any portion of the requirements 

payment is used for activities other than meeting the 

requirements of Title II, provided that the proposed uses 

are not inconsistent with the requirements of HAVA Title 

III and are consistent with the usage restrictions set forth 

in HAVA Section 251(b); 

Is in compliance with Section 906 of HAVA, and
HAVA Title II, Section 251 Funds Through FY 2008

State

Total Section 251 

Funds Received ($)a Interest Earned

Total 

Expendituresa

Balance of Funds 

and Interest

Percent of Funds 

and Interest 

Expended

Alabama $35,866,513 $2,260,382 $26,785,313 $11,341,582 70.25

Alaska 11,596,803 1,581,881 6,829,221 6,349,463 51.82

American Samoa 2,319,361 133,973 1,643,416 809,918 66.99

Arizona 40,584,515 4,857,270 24,392,214 21,049,571 53.68

Arkansas 21,598,570 1,888,869 18,968,929 4,518,510 80.76

California 264,237,124 33,002,325 197,446,357 99,793,092 66.43

Colorado 34,545,365 4,337,216 33,724,080 5,158,501 86.73

Connecticut 27,719,501 3,351,016 19,097,193 11,973,324 61.46

Delaware 11,596,803 817,986 5,603,999 6,810,790 45.14

District of Columbia 11,596,803 1,356,564 4,979,978 7,973,389 38.45

Florida 132,502,091 15,230,008 93,291,172 54,440,927 63.15

Georgia 64,748,170 696,778 64,961,519 483,429 99.26

Guamb 2,319,361 0 1,652,099 667,262 71.23

Hawaii 11,596,803 820,675 8,753,279 3,664,199 70.49

Idaho 11,596,803 899,265 12,484,297 11,771 99.91

Illinois 98,595,252 7,271,927 89,451,036 16,416,143 84.49

Indiana 48,544,987 2,127,175 50,318,460 353,702 99.30

Iowa 23,739,383 1,339,361 25,033,616 45,128 99.82

Kansas 21,409,789 1,976,843 19,369,228 4,017,404 82.82

Kentucky 32,899,292 3,083,286 22,182,252 13,800,326 61.65

Louisiana 35,067,672 3,399,269 34,498,557 3,968,384 89.68

Maine 11,596,803 1,437,130 7,766,150 5,267,783 59.58

Maryland 42,478,430 3,362,223 32,960,662 12,879,991 71.90

Massachusetts 52,222,225 3,707,231 10,257,040 45,672,416 18.34

Michigan 78,960,474 6,371,291 59,637,152 25,694,613 69.89

Minnesota 39,178,788 4,642,050 36,301,371 7,519,467 82.84

Mississippi 22,418,203 1,071,010 20,163,416 3,325,797 85.84

Missouri 44,914,650 3,698,128 41,613,242 6,999,536 85.60

Montana 11,596,803 602,461 11,295,094 904,170 92.59

Nebraska 13,749,549 629,726 14,155,595 223,680 98.44

Nevada 16,166,810 1,054,922 12,644,293 4,577,439 73.42

New Hampshire 11,596,803 1,714,936 4,075,465 9,236,274 30.62

New Jersey 68,067,586 5,501,660 53,522,329 20,046,917 72.75

New Mexicoc 14,279,790 902,473 15,123,547 58,716 99.61

New York 153,414,430 22,744,148 60,713,108 115,445,470 34.47

North Carolina 65,477,808 6,099,413 58,616,996 12,960,225 81.89

North Dakota 11,596,803 1,152,269 5,215,421 7,533,651 40.91

Ohio 90,992,517 6,174,851 93,743,145 3,424,223 96.48

Oklahoma 27,659,637 348,163 3,446,283 24,561,517 12.30

Oregon 27,837,407 3,041,940 13,863,641 17,015,706 44.90

Pennsylvania 100,578,829 15,278,254 96,921,297 18,935,786 83.66

Puerto Rico 2,319,361 176,159 527,369 1,968,151 21.13

Rhode Island 11,596,803 483,942 12,080,745 0 100.00

South Carolina 32,421,280 623,579 32,421,280 623,579 98.11

South Dakota 11,596,803 985,430 5,574,409 7,007,824 44.30

Tennessee 46,236,130 5,572,841 21,769,684 30,039,287 42.02

Texas 160,691,949 10,779,735 135,236,716 36,234,968 78.87

Utah 16,467,182 623,198 17,090,380 0 100.00

Vermont 11,596,803 2,011,107 0.00 13,607,910 0.00

Virginia 57,489,361 5,199,726 35,047,607 27,641,480 55.91

Virgin Islands 2,319,361 103,737 707,897 1,715,201 29.21

Washington 47,195,971 4,805,038 33,337,308 18,663,701 64.11

West Virginia 15,303,569 1,121,238 14,474,244 1,950,563 88.12

Wisconsin 43,063,935 4,191,432 36,532,637 10,722,730 77.31

Wyoming 11,596,803 823,987 12,420,790 0 100.00

Total $2,319,360,617 $217,467,497 $1,770,722,528 $766,105,586 69.80 

a Includes cash disbursements and unliquidated obligations. Also states earned interest on Section 251 funds deposited in their state election fund, which is why 

some states spent more than they received.

b Guam did not file a report for Section 251 for FY 2008. Reported data is from the last report filed, which reported Section 101 and Section 251 in a joint report 

covering FY 2006. Guam has not reported any interest.

c New Mexico did not file a report for Section 251 for FY 2008. The data provided is from its FY 2007 report.
U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 15

n Filed a state plan that complies with the requirements 

listed in Sections 253, 254, 255, and 256 of HAVA

EAC disbursed a total $2.3 billion in requirements payments

in FYs 2003 ($830 million), and 2004 ($1,489 million). Congress

appropriated $115 million in FY 2008 and $100 million in FY 

2009. As of October 1, 2009, EAC distributed approximately $78

million of the FYs 2008 and 2009 requirements payments

Customer Service for States

In FY 2009, EAC established several initiatives to increase efficiency regarding the disbursement and reporting of Section 

251 funds, beginning with a new process allowing states to 

secure both FY 2008 and 2009 requirements payments at the 

same time. In addition, EAC increased communication with

states to further assist them, including a June 18, 2009, conference call for state election officials about the new process for 

requesting requirements payments, and an updated instructions section on EAC's Web site. New customer service initiatives launched in FY 2009 include:

n A process in which states may request both 2008 and 

2009 requirements payments simultaneously

n Communicating with states regarding whether their current 

state plans reflect how the new requirements payments 

will be used and managed, and the amount of requirements 

payments to request based on available matching funds

n A new Notice of Grant Award that identifies the funding 

amount, matching share, performance period, administrative and reporting requirements, information that 

provides states and grantees with the information needed 

to effectively manage federal funds

Cost Savings in Elections

EAC’s April 15, 2009, public meeting featured a workshop called 

Cost-Saving Practices for Election Management, in which election 

officials shared their cost saving practices. Former Johnson

County, Kansas, Election Commissioner Connie Schmidt 

discussed how technology and community partnerships were 

beneficial, especially when facing budget constraints. Sacramento County, California, Registrar of Voters Jill LaVine testified that

cost saving opportunities can be found in using new technology 

and automation. Larimer County, Colorado, Clerk and Recorder

Scott Doyle discussed the impact of vote centers. The meeting

was webcast and available to the public and to election officials 

throughout the nation

Funding Advisory Opinion Process

EAC’s Funding Advisory Opinion Policy was developed to assist 

government officials regarding the appropriate use of HAVA 

funds. The policy enables any federal or state government official,

local election official, provided the local jurisdiction received or 

anticipates receiving HAVA funds, or any EAC staff member to 

submit a request for an advisory opinion. In FY 2009, EAC issued

five funding advisory opinions. Pending and issued advisory

opinions, as well as instructions for submitting a request, are 

available in the Election Official Center at www.eac.g

Section 101 Funds – a total of $349 million has been disbursed to states. Funds may be used to comply with HAVA Title 

III requirements for uniform and nondiscriminatory election technology and administration requirements; improve the administration of elections for federal office; educate voters; train election 

officials, poll workers and volunteers; develop a state plan; and 

establish toll-free voter information hotlines. 

Section 102 Funds – a total of $300 million has been 

disbursed to states. Funds may be used only to replace punch 

card and lever voting systems that were in use during the November 2000 general federal election. 

Section 251 Funds – A total of $2.32 billion has been 

disbursed to states. Also known as “requirements payments,” 

these funds may be used to implement provisional voting; 

provide information to voters on Election Day; procure voting 

systems; implement a statewide voter registration database; 

implement identification requirements for first-time voters who 

register to vote by mail; and other activities to improve the 

administration of elections for federal office. 

Section 261 Funds – These funds are administered and 

audited by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 

and are used to address the accessibility of polling places for 

individuals with disabilities.

Allowable Uses of HAVA Funds

EAC’s Role: Help States Use HAVA Funds Efficiently

and Properly

n 

n 

n 

n 

n 

n

Issues guidance and conducts training on the administration 

and use of HAVA funds. 

Provides technical assistance to states on administering 

federal funds.

Tracks the submission of and reviews the content of financial 

and performance reports submitted by recipients.

Provides feedback to recipients on issues identified in report 

reviews.

Conducts site visits to follow up on potential problem areas.

 Reviews audit reports and resolves findings applicable to EAC 

programs.

Auditing the Use of HAVA Funds

HAVA gives EAC and the U�S� Department of Health and 

Human Services the authority to conduct regular audits of 
16 U.S. Election Assistance Commission www.eac.gov

HAVA funds. The OIG, along with the chief financial officer’s

department, are responsible for audits of HAVA funds. The

OIG has responsibility to audit programs and operations, issue 

semi-annual reports to Congress, and investigate complaints 

of waste, fraud or abuse

Since the inception of the audit program in 2006, the OIG 

has issued 23 final reports on the states' use of HAVA funds

OIG reports are available at www.eac.gov/eac_ig.

In addition to EAC’s regular audits, HAVA also provides 

for two other means of extraordinary audit authority – (a) 

funds are subject, at least once during the term of the program, to an audit by the Comptroller General; and (b) Section 

902(b)(6) of HAVA allows EAC to conduct a “special audit” or 

“special examination” of the funds that are subject to regular 

audit under Section 902(b)(1). This special audit authority covers every HAVA program, including funds distributed under

Title I, Title II, and programs administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. If EAC determines th

a special audit is warranted, by vote of the commission, EAC 

will refer the matter to the OIG for review

Following the issuance of an audit report by the OIG, EAC 

management is required to resolve management-agreed upon 

audit findings, including recommendations for changes to policies and procedures and any findings that HAVA funds were 

misspent. EAC reviews the audit findings, develops monitoring

programs for changes to policy or procedure, and quantifies 

amounts of funding that are to be returned to the state’s election fund or to the U.S. Treasury. Once a management decisi

is made by the executive director, the determination is sent to 

the audited state. The state then has the option of appealing

the decision to the commission. An appeal can entail a paper

review of the record of the audit or a combination of paper 

review and a public hearing. The decision of the commission

is final and binding on the state. EAC has issued a total of 43

management decisions resolving audits, and they are available 

at www.eac.g

GRANTS

The Help America Vote College Program

The Help America Vote College Program was established by 

HAVA to recruit the next generation of poll workers. Effective

models for recruiting younger poll workers have emerged from 

this program that can be adopted and replicated by other communities. EAC used the program to raise awareness leading

up to the 2008 general election for the need for poll workers 

and to encourage younger citizens to serve their community 

on Election Day. In addition, EAC produced and distributed

manuals about recruiting, training and retaining poll workers, 

including college students

In FY 2009, EAC awarded $750,000 in grants to 11 colleges 

and universities and two nonprofit organizations to recruit 

college students to serve as poll workers during the 2009 and 

2010 elections. The 2009 grantees were:

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Catskill Center for Independence, New York: $75,000

Hampton University, Virginia: $74,055

LaGuardia Community College, New York: $74,041

Missouri Western State University: $74,807

Palmetto Project, South Carolina: $74,929

Regis University, Colorado: $74,611

Salish Kootenai College, Montana: $66,008

University of Missouri: $20,000

University of Baltimore, Maryland: $20,000

University of Central Florida: $75,000

University of Texas Austin: $53,078

University of Southern Mississippi: $48,471

Vassar College, New York: $20,000

The grant recipients came from across the United States, 

and their programs employed a variety of methods to recruit poll 

workers, including those with specialized language and technical 

skills and experience working with people with disabilities

Salish Kootenai College, for example, will recruit poll 

workers who speak the Salish and Kootenai languages to aid 

Native American voters in the Lake and Flathead counties of 

Montana. The Palmetto Project, in addition to recruiting 300

students in South Carolina, will apply their research and experience to develop a guide to recruiting students and disadvantaged youth as poll workers. The University of Central Florida

will partner with the Orange County Supervisor of Elections to 

deploy an online training program that simulates the duties of 

a poll worker. Hampton University will provide a curriculum

on democracy and elections and hold mock election trainings 

for student recruits

Since the program’s inception in 2004, EAC has awarded 

74 grants, totaling $2.4 million, to colleges and nonprofits

to recruit, train and support college students serving as poll 

workers on Election Day
U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 17

Characteristics of a successful Mock Election 

Program

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n

n

n

n

 Coordinate with local election officials and program staff to set 

ground rules, assign roles, and lay out the blueprint for program 

leaders.

 Develop a publicity plan to specify the modes of communication such as: site visits to schools; attendance at public events; 

and advertising on Web sites as well as through direct mail, and 

email. 

 Prepare informative, educational, and engaging election materials.

 Assist teachers in conducting mock elections and using voting 

machines.

 Use school forums, cable call-in shows, speeches, debates, 

quiz team competitions, mock press conferences, and speech 

writing to involve and inform students.

Mock Election Program Grants

The Mock Election Program encourages youth participation 

and civic engagement by enabling students to participate in 

simulated elections with voting equipment, ballots, and poll 

workers. In FY 2009, EAC awarded grants to seven organizations to educate secondary school students and their parents

about the electoral process through staged national elections

EAC awarded a total of $300,000 in grants in FY 2009, 

and a total of $597,220 to organizations under this program in 

2004, 2005 and 2008. The recipients of the 2009 grants will support efforts that are notable for their innovation, impact and

inclusion of historically underserved populations. Grantees

include: 

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n

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$48,000 to the Chiesman Center for Democracy in South 

Dakota to implement a project that targets school districts on South Dakota’s Indian reservations and other 

underserved minority populations

$33,000 to Instituto de Formación Democrática in Puerto 

Rico to engage students in Puerto Rico through innovative use of Internet and social media technology

$41,000 to Kids Voting North Carolina to increase mock 

election participation among students in North Carolina 

by 25 percent

$40,000 to the League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh to run a mock election in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania that includes a contest for students to develop 

voting software to be used during the mock election

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n

n

$38,000 to the League of Women Voters of Illinois to hold 

mock elections for up to 180,000 high school students in 

10 counties in Illinois

$55,000 to Miami-Dade County, Florida to introduce 

thousands of Miami-Dade County students to new optical 

voting equipment

$45,800 to the State of Nevada Secretary of State to create 

a cross-curricular, interactive event known as Nevada 

Voting Day in partnership with the Nevada Department 

of Education and 16 county school districts

Additional information about the Help America Vote College and Mock Election programs are available at www.eac.g

Stakeholder Input for Future Grant Programs

In September 2009, EAC opened 45-day comment periods 

for two draft grant competition plans—the Accessible Voting 

Technology Initiative and the Voting System Pre-Election 

Logic and Accuracy Testing and Post-Election Audit Initiative

The draft grant announcements set forth funding parameters 

including the scope of work, eligibility requirements and qualifications, selection criteria, and other related details

Input received from the public will guide development 

of the final Notice of Funds Availability for both competitive 

grant programs, which were funded by the Omnibus Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 111-8)

The Accessible Voting Technology Initiative

This grant will award up to $5 million to fund research and 

technology adoption to make voting systems (including paper 

ballots) more accessible to all voters, and make the entire 

election process more welcoming and accessible to individuals 

with disabilities. The draft grant announcement outlined the

plan and funding parameters for the development of the initiative, which will fund research to identify and develop technological and administrative solutions to ensure all citizens can 

vote privately and independently, a requirement of HAVA

The Voting System Pre-Election Logic and Accuracy 

Testing and Post-Election Audit Initiative

The grant will award $1 million in grants to develop and document processes for coordinating quality and cost-effective 

voting system pre-election logic and accuracy testing (L&A) 

and post-election audits. Deliverables for the competition will

be materials (e.g., tool kits, guides, best practices) that will b

shared widely with election officials
The EAC’s role brings government rules for public disclosure and accountability to the 

process of certifying voting equipment

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U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 19

H 

V O T I N G S Y S T E M T E S T I N G A N D 

C E R T I F I C A T I O N

In FY 2009, EAC’s Voting System Testing and Certification 

Program staff continued to operate a thorough, rigorous and 

transparent process. While maintaining a consistent level of

scrutiny, internal changes were made to further streamline the 

process and reduce the time and cost of testing. As a result,

three voting systems were certified by the federal government 

in FY 2009

EAC adopted its Voting System Certification Program 

on December 7, 2006. Since that time, thirteen voting system

manufacturers have registered with EAC’s certification program and ten systems have been submitted for testing

Voting System Test Laboratory Accreditation

HAVA Section 231 requires EAC and NIST to develop a 

program for accrediting voting system testing laboratories

The National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program 

(NVLAP) of NIST evaluates test laboratories and performs 

periodic re-evaluation to verify that the labs continue to 

meet the accreditation criteria. When NIST has determined

that a lab is technically competent to test systems, the NIST 

director recommends to EAC that a lab be accredited. EAC

makes the determination to accredit the lab. EAC issues an

accreditation certificate to approved labs, maintains a register 

of accredited labs, and posts this information on its Web site

Labs must adhere to the requirements of EAC’s Voting System 

Test Laboratory Program Manual or face possible suspension 

or revocation of accreditation. These requirements include a

stringent conflict of interest program and compliance management program

Currently, four test laboratories have been accredited by 

EAC: iBeta Quality Assurance, CIBER, Inc., SysTest Labs, and

Wyle Laboratories. In FY 2009, the commission reaccredited

SysTest Labs and iBeta Labs as voting system test laboratories under EAC’s program. The reaccreditations were issued

after onsite inspections of SysTest Labs and iBeta labs in accordance with EAC’s Voting System Test Laboratory Program 

Manual requirements. InfoGard’s accreditation expired in

2008

SysTest Labs had its accreditation reinstated after being 

suspended by the commission pursuant to sections 5.4 and 5.

of EAC’s manual for failing to comply with program requirements. After the successful execution of a remedial action plan

and the removal of its NVLAP suspension, the commission 

reinstated SysTest’s accreditation. EAC and NVLAP conducted

follow up visits to SysTest to verify that all laboratory deficiencies had been remedied. Information about the suspension,

remedial action plan, and general information about its subsequent reinstatement as an EAC-accredited test laboratory are 

available in the Voting System section at www.eac.g
20 U.S. Election Assistance Commission www.eac.gov

Voting System Certification

HAVA instructs EAC to establish the federal government’s first 

program to test and certify voting equipment. The certification

program was established after the adoption of the 2005 VVSG

and the first recommendations from NIST in February 2007 

regarding test laboratories that should be federally accredited 

to evaluate voting systems

The first step in the certification process is registration 

by the manufacturer. They are required to provide written

policies for quality assurance purposes, document retention 

policies and a complete list of facilities. The manufacturer also

agrees to meet all program requirements, such as reporting all 

anomalies for EAC certified-systems.

Next, the manufacturer is required to submit an application for the testing of their voting system. It is at this time that

they select an EAC accredited laboratory. This laboratory then

submits a test plan for approval by EAC, tests the voting system 

and, finally, creates a test report. Reports from the laboratory’s

assessment of the voting system are provided to EAC for review 

and action. The reports are reviewed by EAC technical reviewers. If the report is in order and the system is in conformanc

with all applicable voting system standards or guidelines, the 

program director will recommend that EAC grant the system 

certification. EAC’s executive director will consider the recommendation and make the final decision. Once certified, a syste

may bear an EAC certification sticker and may be marketed as 

having obtained an EAC certification

In FY 2009, EAC certified three voting systems. Election

Systems & Software Unity 3.2.0.0; MicroVote EMS 4.0 Vot

System; and Premier Election Solutions Assure 1.2. An EA

certification means that a voting system has met all applicable 

requirements of the VVSG by passing a series of comprehensive tests conducted by a federally accredited test laboratory

Manufacturers of certified systems must also meet technical 

and ethical standards that ensure the integrity of the process 

and the system as it goes from the test lab to production and 

into the marketplace

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List of Registered Manufacturers

 Avante International Technology, Inc. 

 Dominion Voting Systems Corp. 

 Election Systems & Software, Inc (ES&S )

 Hart InterCivic, Inc. 

 MicroVote General Corp. 

 N.V. Nederlansche Apparatenfabriek “Nedap”

 Precise Voting LLC

 Premier Election Solutions, Inc. (formerly Diebold Election 

Systems, Inc.) 

 Scytl Secure Electronic Voting S.A.

 Sequoia Voting Systems 

 TruVote International 

 Unisyn Voting Solutions, (a division of International Lottery and 

Totalizator, Inc) 

 Everyone Counts, Inc.

How does a Voting System Get Certified 

by EAC?

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Step one: Voting system manufacturers must register with 

the EAC.

Step two: Manufacturers must submit an application and 

select a federally accredited test laboratory to begin the testing process.

Step three: Test laboratory submits draft test plan to EAC 

for approval.

Step four: EAC approves test plan.

Step five: Voting system is tested to the applicable standards.

Step six: Testing concluded; draft test report submitted to 

EAC for approval.

Step seven: EAC approves test report and issues initial decision on certification.

Step eight: Test laboratory rebuilds voting system in a 

trusted environment, otherwise known as a “trusted build.”

Step nine: Manufacturer provides software identification 

tools to EAC, which enables election officials to confirm use 

of EAC-certified systems.

Step ten: Manufacturer provides voting system software to 

EAC repository.

Step eleven: Manufacturer agrees in writing to all EAC 

certification conditions and program requirements.

Step twelve: EAC certifies voting system.
U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 21

Quality Monitoring Program

EAC monitors all voting systems it certifies through its Quality 

Monitoring Program. The program requires manufacturers to

submit reports whenever a federally certified system experiences an anomaly. It also requires manufacturers to notify

EAC if it modifies a certified system’s hardware, software or 

firmware. EAC also conducts site visits of accredited test laboratories and participating manufacturer facilities. Information generated by the Quality Monitoring Program, includin

anomaly reports, will be posted in the Voting Systems Center 

at www.eac.g

Communication and Clarification

In an effort to increase efficiency and streamline the certification process, EAC established the Requests for Interpretations 

(RFI) process in which program participants could request 

interpretations of the VVSG. In addition, EAC established the

Notice of Clarification (NOC) process, in which EAC issues 

clarifying language based upon written requests from manufacturers or test labs seeking clarification about a program 

requirement or policy. All RFIs and NOCs are available in the

Voting Systems section at www.eac.g

Unified and Inclusive Approach

In January 2009, EAC hosted the Unified Testing Initiative and 

Cost of Testing Summit to explore ways the federal government could coordinate its testing and certification efforts 

with state and local election officials to improve efficiency and 

reduce costs. Session topics included identifying factors that

impact costs, balancing quality testing and costs and an explanation of EAC’s Election Operations Assessment. The meeting

was open to the public, and testimony, a participant list, and 

additional meeting information is available at www.eac.go

Voluntary Voting System Guidelines

The VVSG is the set of testable standards by which all voting 

systems are evaluated by EAC. EAC’s accredited laboratories conduct a conformance assessment using the VVSG to

evaluate the voting systems. A system submitted to EAC’s

program will only receive certification if it complies with the 

VVSG; there is no guarantee that a system will meet the VVSG

requirements and ultimately receive an EAC certification

EAC, the TGDC, and NIST work together to develop voluntary testing standards. The 2005 VVSG are currently in place,

and future versions and updates of the VVSG are already being 

formulated by EAC and NIST

EAC Decisions on RFIs issued in FY 2009

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EAC Decision on Request for Interpretation 2009-03

(Battery Back Up for Central Count) 

EAC Decision on Request for Interpretation 2009-02 

(Alternate Languages) 

2002 VSS Volume I: 2.2.1.3a Ballot Production 

2005 VVSG Volume I: 3.1.3 Alternate Languages

EAC Decision on Request for Interpretation 2009-001

(VVPAT Accessibility) 

2005 VVSG Volume1: 7.8.2, 7.9.7

EAC Decision on Request for Interpretation 2009-04

(Audit Log Events) 

 2002 VSS Volume I: 2.2.4.1, Common Standards, 2.2.5.1 

System Audit 

 2005 VVSG Volume I: 2.1.4 Integrity, 2.1.5 System Audit, 

2.1.5.1 Operational Requirements, 5.4.3 In-Process Audit 

Records

EAC Decision on Request for Interpretation 2008-12

(Ballot Marking Device/ Scope of Testing) 

2005 VVSG Volume1: 2.1.5. System Audit 

2005 VVSG Volume1: 2.1.5.2 Shared Computing Platform

EAC Decision on Request for Interpretation 2008-06

(Battery Back Up for Central Count) 

2002 VVSS Volume I, Sections 3.2.2.4c, 3.2.2.5 

 2005 VVSG Volume I, Version 1.0, Sections 4.1.2.4c 

(Electrical Supply), 4.1.2.5 (Electrical Power Disturbance) 

EAC NOCs issued in FY 2009

Notice of Clarification 09-003: Clarification of De Minimis 

Change Determination Requirements.

Notice of Clarification 09-002: Clarification of EAC Laboratory 

Independence Requirement.

Notice of Clarification 09-001: Clarification of the 

Requirements for Voting System Test Laboratories (VSTLs) 

Development and Submission of Test Plans.

Future Iterations

After meeting the HAVA deadline to issue the 2005 VVSG, the 

TGDC and NIST began work immediately on a complete rewrite of the guidelines to address the next generation of voting 

systems. The TGDC’s draft of the next iteration of the VVS

contained new and expanded material covering reliability 

and quality, usability and accessibility, security, and testing

Requirements are more precise and the language throughout 

was written for enhanced usability and readability by a wide 

variety of audiences
22 U.S. Election Assistance Commission www.eac.gov

The next iteration of the guidelines contain the following 

sections:

Part 1, Equipment Requirements: for requirements that 

pertain specifically to voting equipment� 

Part 2, Documentation Requirements: for documentation requirements that must be satisfied by both manufacturers and test labs – the Technical Data Package, user documentation, test lab reports, etc� 

Part 3, Testing Requirements: for information and 

requirements about testing; the approaches to testing that will 

be used by test labs; and the types of tests that will be used to 

test conformance to the requirements in Parts 1 and 2� 

Appendix A, Definitions of Words with Special Meanings: covers terminology used in requirements and informative language� 

Appendix B, References and End Notes: contains references to documents and the on-line document used in the 

writing of this standard� 

EAC and NIST are currently reviewing the comments 

and will issue an EAC draft for another 120-day public comment period� EAC will conduct public hearings about its draft 

version and review all comments submitted and make final 

modifications� The final version of the VVSG will be adopted by 

vote of the commission and published in the Federal Register 

and posted at www�eac�gov� 

Revisions to the 2005 VVSG

After reviewing comments and receiving input from a series 

of roundtable discussions about the next iteration, EAC determined that the 2005 VVSG should be revised now instead of 

waiting for final adoption of the next iteration, which may not 

occur for several years. The purpose of the revision is to introduce immediate improvements in the quality and efficiency of

the test process before the release of the next iteration of the 

VVSG. Following is a complete list of areas to be revised

1) Hardware and software performance benchmarks and 

test method

2) Software workmanship

3) Test plan and test report

4) Technical data package (TDP) and voting equipment 

user documentation

5) Non-electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) environmental hardware

6) Human factors requirements

7) System security documentation requirements

8) Election records

9) Voter verified paper audit trails (VVPAT)

10) Cryptography

11) External interface requirement

12) EAC requests for interpretation (RFI) decisions

13) General edits

To implement updates to the 2005 VVSG, EAC followed 

the procedures in HAVA, including a 120-day public comment 

period and input from EAC advisory boards. EAC and NIST are

currently reviewing the input and will present an update to the 

commission for final adoption
U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 23

Federal Role Adds Transparency and 

Accountability

EAC’s role brings government requirements for public 

disclosure and accountability to the process of certifying 

voting equipment. EAC is obligated to conduct accreditation

and certification processes that are open and that provide 

information about the process to the public. EAC developed its

programs with the knowledge that public confidence is critical 

to the election process, and that confidence comes from public 

knowledge and understanding of the process

To meet the requirements for disclosure and transparency, EAC established the Voting Systems Center to post 

information about the program and its participants. Visitors

have access to basic information, such as lists of accredited 

laboratories and registered manufacturers, as well as more 

detailed documents generated throughout the process, including draft and final test plans, test reports, correspondence, a 

list of all registered manufacturers and voting systems being 

tested. The Voting Systems Center also includes background

and historical information, such as an extensive frequently 

asked questions document, overviews of the processes and 

a detailed step-by-step video and written description of how 

voting systems are certified by the federal government

EAC provides regular program updates at public meetings, as well as hosting discussions about topics of interest to 

the public regarding voting systems. For example, in September 2009, EAC hosted a public hearing about Commercial-OffThe-Shelf (COTS) software and hardware, which are used by

most if not all voting systems. Perspectives from COTS manufacturers, election officials and the private sector were offere

Discussion topics included the advantages and disadvantages 

of COTS, shelf life, and version tracking issues. The meeting

was webcast and testimony from all participants is available in 

the EAC News Center at www.eac.g
Data about how, where, and when Americans vote help election officials and policy makers make 

well informed decisions about election administration policies and procedures

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U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 25

R E S E A R C H , P O L I C Y A N D P R O G R A M S

H In FY 2009, EAC consolidated several program areas to 

increase efficiency and continue improving customer service 

for election officials and the public� The Research, Policy and 

Programs Division is responsible for research, the Election 

Management Guidelines program, the Language Assistance 

Program and policy issues, including the National Voter 

Registration Act (NVRA)� Many of the materials produced by 

the division become a crucial component of the EAC Clearinghouse, such as information about state election laws�

The division has developed a list of potential projects 

with timelines to guide staff work through 2012� Progress has 

been made toward the completion of several projects noted 

in the research schedule, many of which are mandated by 

HAVA and/or authorized by Congress� EAC receives input on 

scheduling mandated studies from the EAC Standards Board 

and the EAC Board of Advisors�

Consistent with FY 2009 priorities, the division administered its biennial election survey, and produced and disseminated two reports: the Impact of the National Voter Registration 

Act and the $10 million Election Data Collection Grant Program� A Statutory Overview report on state election laws was 

also developed, and efforts continue on the HAVA-mandated 

study, Vote Count/Recount�

The division continues to identify and collect required 

and useful data on election administration while making 

recommendations to improve the quality of data collection� 

For example, discussions were held in FY 2009 with state and 

local election officials to gather input on ways to make future 

versions of the Election Administration and Voting Survey 

more conducive to their data collection and submission needs, 

and to learn about their recent experiences with implementing 

statewide voter registration databases� The research and policy 

staff was also in contact with election officials about topics 

such as provisional voting practices, student voting rights, the 

costs of administering elections, and the differences in administering elections in rural versus urban areas

EAC research reports, complete data sets, language accessibility resources and election management materials are 

available at www.eac.g

Research 

Data about how, where, and when Americans vote help election officials and policy makers make well informed decisions 

about election administration policies and procedures� These 

data will ultimately help improve election administration 

operations, identify voter needs, and provide valuable information to the public� 

The 2008 Election Administration and Voting Survey

Every two years EAC issues the Election Administration and 

Voting Survey report based on election administration-related 

data collected from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, 

Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the U�S� Virgin 

Islands� The 2008 Election Administration and Voting Survey instrument was divided into two sections� Section A 

captured information pertaining to NVRA, the Uniformed 

and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), and 

other election administration issues such as the casting and 

counting of provisional ballots and poll worker recruitment� 

Section B contained the statutory overview, which included 

a series of questions about states' laws, definitions, and procedures� The results from this data collection effort was the 

basis for a series of reports to the public and Congress� 
26 U.S. Election Assistance Commission www.eac.gov

Election Data Collection Grant Program

In addition to the Election Administration and Voting Survey, 

in FY 2009 EAC also administered an election data collection 

grant program, authorized by Congress. The grant program

provided $2 million each to five states to collect precinct-level 

data about election administration related to the November 

2008 general election. The program was designed to develop

a series of best practices in data collection and to ultimately 

improve data collection processes

The Election Data Collection Grant Program report 

was issued in June 2009, and it included the data submitted 

by the winning grant recipients—Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, 

Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The report was an independent

evaluation of the grant program, and it highlighted the extent 

to which the grantees were able to collect 2008 election data at 

the precinct-level; develop a series of administrative procedures and best practices in election data collection that can 

be replicated by other states; and enhance their capacity to 

collect accurate and complete election data. Select findings

from the report include:

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All five grantees were able to submit election data at the 

precinct level

All five grantees advanced the efficiency and effectiveness 

of election data management within their states by way of 

enhancements to their data collection systems

Innovative training of local election officials on the 

enhanced systems was essential to the grantees’ program 

success

Compendium of State Elections Laws

As part of the effort to collect information about the 2008 

election, EAC also researched election laws in the states and territories and issued a statutory overview. The overview included

state laws, definitions and procedures related to the conduct 

of elections. This information assists the public, policy makers and election officials in understanding the differences and

similarities among states regarding the administration of their 

elections. The overview of state laws is available at www.eac.g

Voter Information Web sites

In FY 2009, EAC issued a collection of best practices for election officials about creating an effective voter information 

Web site. This how-to guide provided advice on a range of

issues, from delivering a secure user experience, to ensuring 

site accessibility and providing valuable information to voters

The report called attention to practices that may inadvertently 

endanger voter privacy, and encouraged the development of 

online tools that can assist voters as they navigate the voting 

process. The study identified basic information that effective

voter information Web sites provide, including:

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Answers to common voter questions such as “Am I registered to vote?” and “Where do I vote?”  

A mapping service to show polling locations

A sample ballot that is identical to the ballot issued 

for the election

Information on the registration and voting process

Features of more advanced voter information Web sites 

were also identified, such as:

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The option to track absentee ballots and check the status 

of provisional ballots

Interactive ballots that link to additional information 

about candidates and measures

Well designed interfaces that are easy to navigate

The report also provided tips on preserving system 

security and user privacy, including how to guard against cyber 

attacks and convey customized information to voters without 

disclosing personal information

Policy

The National Voter Registration Act

HAVA directs EAC to issue a report biennially on the impact of 

the NVRA on the administration of every federal election. The

report is based on data provided by 50 states, four territories, 

and the District of Columbia, representing more than 4,500 

jurisdictions

In FY 2009, EAC issued its third NVRA report, which 

covered registration information following the 2006 general 

election through the 2008 general election. The following highlights were among the finding

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States reported that a total of 189 million voters were 

eligible and registered for the November 2008 general 

election. 

The number of new voter registration applications increased since the previous period. Of the 60 million voter

registration forms received, nearly 24.6 million of these
U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 27

applications were from new voters, up from 17�3 million 

reported in 2006� 

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 A majority of voters registered by mail, fax or e-mail or 

through a motor vehicle agency� A plurality of voters 

(30�1%) applied for registration at motor vehicle agencies, 

and 28�8% applied by mail, fax or e-mail� A significant 

number applied in person at elections offices (14�9%)� A 

smaller number of applications were submitted through 

other state agencies (4�4%), advocacy groups (3�4%), public assistance agencies (1�6%), the Internet (1�1%), disability services offices (�2%), and armed forces recruitment 

offices (�1%)� The remaining 15 percent are categorized by 

the states as “other sources�”  

 12�7 million inactive voters were removed from voter registration lists after the 2006 general election through the 

2008 general election� The NVRA allows states to remove 

voters who have not voted in two consecutive federal 

general elections and failed to respond to a confirmation notice from an elections office� During the reporting 

period, states sent 18�3 million removal notices to voters� 

Of this number, 12�7 million inactive voters were removed 

from voter registration lists for reasons including death, 

felony conviction, failure to vote in two consecutive federal elections, moving, or at the voter’s request� 

For the first time, the 2007-2008 NVRA report included information on same-day registration, which refers to registering 

to vote on the same day on which a vote may be cast� Seventeen states reported that 3�6 million of same-day registration 

applications were filed on days in which it was possible to both 

register and vote� About 20% of the applications were either 

changes to existing registrations or duplicate registrants� 

Same-day applications resulted in at least 963,144 new voters 

being added to the registration rolls in 14 states, although not 

all states were able to provide numbers for new registrants�

EAC’s Strategic Plan includes a performance measure to 

initiate NVRA rulemaking pursuant to section 802 of HAVA� On 

July 29, 2009, a Federal Register Notice transferring the NVRA 

regulations from the Federal Election Commission to EAC was 

published� The transfer became effective, August 28, 2009� An 

expedited Paperwork Reduction Act clearance request was 

submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on 

August 28, 2009, for promulgation of NVRA regulations for the 

Voter Registration Application and NVRA Regulations for Data 

Collection� Both submissions were approved, and OMB Control 

Numbers were assigned on September 3, 2009�

Statewide Voter Registration Databases

HAVA required that each state implement a statewide, computerized voter registration database, and in 2005 EAC issued 

voluntary guidance about the implementation of the databases. EAC contracted with the National Academies of Science

(NAS) to study the implementation of the databases focusing 

on matching protocols, inter- and intra-state interoperability, 

and security and privacy issues. In May 2008, NAS issued an

interim research report that included long- and short-term 

recommendations for improvements. EAC held a public hearing in March 2009 to receive an update from NAS and hear

from election officials about database performance during the 

2008 election. In June, EAC conducted two series of listening

sessions with 50 of the 55 states and territories to discuss the 

successes and challenges states have encountered implementing statewide voter registration databases. EAC will use

the NAS research as the basis for future guidance to address 

overall maintenance and administrative best practices and to 

build upon the guidance issued by EAC in 2005

Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act 

(UOCAVA)

HAVA mandates that for each regularly scheduled general 

election for federal office, states collect data on how many 

UOCAVA ballots were sent and received, and instructs EAC 

to collect the data and deliver the results of the survey to 

Congress. The biennial survey consists of data from the county

(or equivalent of ) level from 50 states, four territories and the 

District of Columbia

In addition to the UOCAVA surveys, in FY 2008 EAC also 

issued a report entitled UOCAVA Voters and the Electronic 

Transmission of Voting Materials in Four States and three case 

studies describing the experiences of states transmitting ballots electronically and using Internet voting. EAC’s Web site includes a section dedicated to military voters featuring links to

the voting sites of every branch of the military and other useful 

resources. These reports, studies and resources are available at

www.eac.g

EAC is working with NIST to provide best practices 

to states on the transmittal and receipt of UOCAVA voting 

materials, including registration information and ballots. NIST

completed the first step of the process with the issuance of 

the December 2008 EAC-funded report: A Threat Analysis on 

UOCAVA Voting Systems

The NIST report provided the first wide-ranging look 

at the security threats associated with potential electronic 

technologies for overseas voting and identified possible ways 

of mitigating these risks
28 U.S. Election Assistance Commission www.eac.gov

The report, available at www.nist.gov, discussed how posta

mail and four electronic transmission options (telephone, fax, 

e-mail, and Web sites) could be used in the overseas voting process. It identified issues and threats associated with using these

methods to register voters, distribute blank ballots and return 

voted ballots. In addition, the report suggested control measures that can mitigate some of the specific threats identifie

To ensure that voters receive unaltered ballots, the 

NIST report recommends specific control measures, such as 

cryptography and back up communications lines, depending on the electronic method chosen. It concludes that voter

registration could also be accomplished electronically using 

these technologies

To further explore ways to improve services for UOCAVA 

voters in anticipation of the 2008 general election, EAC held the 

public meeting, Military and Overseas Citizens: Counting Their 

Votes – Part 1, and received testimony from election officials at 

the state and local levels and policy experts

Programs

Election Management Guidelines

One of EAC’s top priorities is to continue providing election 

officials resources and information to help them make election 

administration improvements at the state and local levels

A major component of the effort to provide assistance is the 

Election Management Guidelines program, which complements the technical standards of the VVSG. The guidelines

address a wide variety of topics from pre-election testing and 

auditing to poll worker training, and the materials are sent to 

election officials in every state. The division’s Election Management Guidelines program released four Quick Start Management Guides in October 2008 on Serving Voters in Long-Term

Care Facilities, Provisional Ballots, Recounts, and Canvassing 

and Certifying an Election. During FY 2009, EAC worked

on five new Election Management Guidelines chapters. In

September 2009, EAC conducted three working groups for new 

chapters and Quick Start guides on Technology in Elections, 

Election Office Management and Accessibility

Language Accessibility Program

EAC’s Language Accessibility Program was developed in accordance with Section 241 of HAVA to study and promote methods 

of ensuring the accessibility of voting, registration, polling places 

and voting equipment to all voters. Materials produced by the

Language Accessibility Program are the result of collaboration 

among election officials, advocacy groups and research and 

public policy organizations. Languages included in the program

are some of those covered by Section 203 of the Voting Rights 

Act

A Voter’s Guide to Federal Elections provides basic information about voting in federal elections, as well as contact information for election offices in each state. It is available in English,

Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Tagalog

The Glossary of Election Terms is available in six languages – Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and 

Tagalog, In addition, major portions of EAC’s Web site have 

also been translated into these six languages

Evaluation of EAC’s Educational Products

Since 2004, EAC has issued information and guidance on 

various topics to assist election officials in managing and administering elections. This information includes management

guidelines, best practices and other related reports as part 

of EAC’s HAVA-mandated research studies, and the Election 

Management Guidelines and Language Accessibility programs

EAC decided to undertake an evaluation of the usefulness of 

the educational products, beginning with a survey of election 

officials to determine their level of satisfaction with the products. Results will guide EAC regarding improvements to the

Election Management Guidelines and Language Accessibility, 

pollworker and ballot design guides and manuals
H H H H H H H H H H H H H
In FY 2009 the EAC increased its efforts to not only post frequent and real-time updates 

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U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 31

C L E A R I N G H O U S E A C T I V I T I E S

H HAVA instructs EAC to serve as a national clearinghouse of 

information about election administration, and EAC’s Web site 

serves this function by providing a collection of resources and 

research for both voters and election officials� EAC offers a wide 

variety of resources on election administration best practices, 

EAC’s voting system program, research results and updates 

and information about the use of HAVA funds� In FY 2009, EAC 

focused on providing resources to assist in Election Day preparation in the areas of voter information, election administration 

resources, support for voters with disabilities and with language 

assistance needs, poll worker resources and information about 

voting system performance in state and local jurisdictions� 

To reach multiple audiences with targeted resources 

about the general election, in FY 2009 EAC increased its efforts 

to not only post frequent and real-time updates on its Web 

site, but also pushed the information out to stakeholders in 

various forms using social and the latest communication tools, 

such as YouTube and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds� 

Stakeholders were continuously informed about activities, 

new resources and updates in EAC clearinghouse by EAC’s 

weekly newsletter, which is sent by email to more than a 

thousand recipients, informing them of new additions to the 

Voting Systems Center, new resources in the Voter Information Center and updates about all EAC public meetings and 

hearings, including testimony, meeting minutes, and webcast 

availability and notifications about future meetings� EAC also 

provides an RSS feed, in which the public can be immediately 

notified about new material posted on the EAC Web site� In 

FY 2009, EAC established a YouTube page called Help America 

Vote, to feature the training videos produced in anticipation of 

the 2008 general election� In addition, EAC issued 51 weekly 

newsletters to stakeholders and the media�

EAC has engaged the public in its decision-making and 

policy decisions� In FY 2009, the public was asked to provide 

comments on projects and initiatives such as the revision to 

the 2005 VVSG, the 2010 Election Administration and Voting 

Survey instrument, EAC’s Strategic Plan, an information collection initiative regarding the evaluation of EAC’s educational 

products, the Working Group policy, and the voting assistance 

technology grant initiative� 

The Election Official Center provides information about 

HAVA funds management, reporting and the amounts allocated to and spent by each state� Also available are Election 

Management Guidelines materials, best practices, language 

resources, poll worker training resources, audit resolutions, 

shared practices, grant opportunities, and advisories and 

guidance� 

In coordination with the Research, Policy and Programs 

Division, the amount and variety of data provided to the 

public greatly expanded in FY 2009� When possible, large 

data sets were provided in several formats to accommodate 

multiple audiences� For example, for the 2007-2008 Impact of 

the NVRA of 1993 on the Administration of Elections for Federal 

Office report, EAC provided complete data sets in database 

(�dbf) files, Statistical Analysis Systems (�sas) files and Excel 

(�xls) formats� 

In the Voter Information Center, visitors have access 

to congressional election dates, language resources, accessibility resources, information about serving as a poll worker, 

and the National Mail Voter Registration Form� State voter 

information resources include state election Web sites, voter 

guides in seven languages, registration information and 

deadlines, absentee and early voting dates, provisional voting information and polling place hours and locations� Also 
32 U.S. Election Assistance Commission www.eac.gov

included is information about voting for military and overseas citizens, including links to voting resources for every 

branch of the military. In FY 2009 as part of the commission’s

preparation to assist voters before the general election, EAC 

collected and posted online state specific information in map 

form, making it easier for voters to click on their states and 

quickly locate election information for their region

The Voting Systems Center was greatly expanded in FY 

2009, as program activities increased with the certification of 

three voting systems. Test plans, test reports and information

about the certified systems were immediately made available 

to the public

Web Site Activity

In FY 2009, there were 1,374,176 page views of www.eac.gov

and top page destinations included Register to Vote, the Voter 

Information Center, About EAC and the Election Official Center. The most popular download was the National Mail Voter

Registration Form. EAC is undertaking a major restructuring of its Web site based upon traffic trends and stakeholder

needs. We are seeking input from staff and stakeholders to

make sure the new Web site will be valuable to a wide variety 

of audiences. In addition, we will add interactive features

throughout the site such as RSS feeds for specific program 

areas to allow visitors to customize their use of the site

FY 2009 Web Site Activity

Voter Information Center

73,908 page views

Election Official Center

20,180 page views

Home page

250,512 page views

About the EAC

21,248 page views

Register to Vote

315,897 page views 22.99%

18.23%

5.38%

1.55%

1.47%

Top Web Site Content

Traffic Sources

45.57%

31.31%

0.16% 22.95%

Referring Sites

231,659

Other 831

Direct Traffic

116,666

Search Engines

159,175

Assistance for Voters

According to EAC’s Election Administration and Voting Survey, 

more than 190 million Americans were registered to vote in 

2008. Empowering voters to participate in the electoral process by making sure they had the information they needed to

vote was also critical to the success of Election Day 2008

States’ election Web sites allowed voters to look up their 

polling place, view sample ballots, learn about voting systems, 

and in some cases, verify their registration. Many election

offices also provided information over the phone through dedicated voter hotlines or regular office phone lines

EAC assumed its role as a national clearinghouse for 

elections by collecting and posting key information from the 

states for voters on the commission’s Web site including registration deadlines, voting options, information for uniformed 

and overseas voters and toll-free phone numbers and Web 

site addresses for election offices in each state. This information was made available through an interactive United States

map featured prominently on the home page, and voters were 

provided with a central, reliable resource about participating 

in the 2008 general election

EAC joined election officials in their efforts to prepare and 

educate voters by announcing to the public where they could 

find resources to assist them in successfully participating on 

November 4, 2008. EAC conducted interviews targeted at voter

education on major broadcast outlets such as CBS News, CNN, 

National Public Radio, and Fox News. Local affiliates throughout the nation delivered our educational message and shared

the EAC Web site and all of its resources with voters. EAC also

reached out to media markets based on the states’ registration deadlines under the theme “Prepare and Confirm before 

Election Day.” Through these media interviews, the commissioners reached as many as 9,768,588 listeners, viewers and

readers prior to November 4, 2008. Some of the themes EAC and
U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 33

election officials throughout the nation focused on prior to the 

general election included:

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Reminder of registration deadlines

What to do before and on Election Day

Verifying registration

Locating polling place information

Volunteering as a poll worker

Early and absentee voting options

EAC also reached out to college students in FY 2009 by 

holding a conference call on voter preparation with college 

print journalists, and EAC staff fluent in Spanish also provided 

information to voters through Hispanic media outlets

Shortly before the 2008 general election, EAC hosted a 

public workshop on empowering voters. Voter advocates and

election officials spoke about efforts to engage voters in the 

process. Additionally, a couple of weeks before the election

EAC hosted a panel discussion at the National Press Club with 

secretaries of state and national journalists about reporting 

election results. The public forum, also broadcast on C-SPAN,

brought officials and journalists together to educate the public 

about the reporting process from each perspective, and participants discussed how they could work more effectively to 

deliver timely, accurate results to the public

EAC also used its national platform and clearinghouse 

resources to urge cooperation between election officials and 

voter registration groups, advising them to avoid bottlenecks 

by coordinating registration form drop-offs and working together to make sure voters filled out the forms correctly

Assistance for Election Officials

In addition to assisting election officials with their efforts to 

help voters prepare for November 4, 2008, EAC also produced 

and distributed election management materials that covered acceptance testing; voting for uniformed and overseas 

citizens; pre-election and parallel testing; developing an audit 

trail; contingency planning; ballot building; absentee voting 

and vote by mail; polling place and vote center management; 

and media and public relations. Election management materials are available at www.eac.

Training Videos

EAC’s training and educational videos are designed to help 

election officials and poll workers prepare for Election Day

Videos are available about polling place accessibility, contingency planning, and polling place management. Based on the

Election Management Guidelines, they cover key points about 

managing polling places, making polling places accessible, and 

developing and carrying out contingency plans. They also describe the EAC’s voluntary voting system testing and certification program. These training videos are also available on EAC’

YouTube page, so election officials and poll workers can access 

them at their convenience

Online training and informational videos

Recruiting Poll Workers

For every election, officials consistently cite the critical need 

for more poll workers. The success of every election rests

in large measure on the turnout and performance of this 

temporary workforce. According to EAC’s 2008 Election Administration and Voting Survey, nearly half of the jurisdictions

reported difficulty in obtaining poll workers. States reported

that 878,360 poll workers staffed some 132,237 polling places

On average, 6.6 poll workers were assigned to each polling

place, an increase from the 2006 mid-term average of 6.1 poll

workers

In 2008, election officials throughout the nation recognized that poll workers were more needed than ever in 

anticipation of increased voter registrations and new voting 

equipment. EAC issued a national call through interviews on

national media outlets and information sent to stakeholders to recruit at least 2 million poll workers on Election Day, 

provided instructions to participate and included poll worker 

contact information for every state in the Voter Information 

Center. In addition to providing a list of state poll worker requirements, EAC produced training videos for election officials

and poll workers on how to manage a polling place. These
34 U.S. Election Assistance Commission www.eac.gov

videos demonstrated how to keep lines moving, make polling 

places accessible for people with disabilities and prepare for 

emergencies. EAC also published a poll worker recruitment

and training manual for election officials and civic organizations

After the 2008 general election in recognition of the many 

Americans who served as poll workers, Vice Chair Gracia 

Hillman issued a proclamation on behalf of EAC designating 

the week of December 7-13, 2008 as “National Election Worker 

Appreciation Week.”

To assist election officials recruit the next generation of 

poll worker, in FY 2009 EAC issued $750,000 in grants to 11 

colleges and universities and two nonprofit organizations to 

recruit college students to serve as poll workers during the 

2009 and 2010 elections

Voting System Reports Clearinghouse

The Voting System Reports Clearinghouse was established to 

gather information about voting systems certified by state or 

local jurisdictions. This information is used by EAC’s voting

system laboratories in the testing of systems, and is available 

to election officials across the country to evaluate and improve 

their systems. EAC encourages all jurisdictions to submit their

reports to the clearinghouse, which is also available to the 

public at www.eac.g

In FY 2009, reports about voting system performance 

were submitted to the clearinghouse by the Oakland County, 

Michigan Clerk/Registrar of Deeds, the Connecticut Secretary 

of State, and the New York State Board of Elections

Voting Accessibility

In FY 2009, EAC established the Voting Accessibility section on 

www.eac.gov to provide a central location about voting accessibility laws and regulations and the latest best practices an

research pertaining to voters with disabilities and elderly voters. It provides a portal to EAC resources and to federal agencies and nonprofit organizations that serve seniors and people

with disabilities. On the Resources for Voters with Disabilities

section, visitors will find EAC resources including The Accessible Voting Technology Initiative, EAC Management Guide on 

Elderly and Disabled Voters in Long-Term Care Facilities, and access to EAC’s fully accessible comment tool for the VVSG Version 1.1. The section also includes links to www.disability.i

gov’s voting laws and regulations; resources and tool kits from 

the Americans with Disabilities Act; applicable laws provided 

by the American Bar Association’s Commission on Law and 

Aging; and a wide variety of resources about accessibility and 

voting from the University of Pennsylvania. Links to publications and resources from the United States Access Board and

the General Accountability Office are also available. The Voting

Accessibility section features the EAC-produced video, Making 

Polling Places Accessible

The Language Accessibility section offers a central location for all of EAC’s program resources, including the glossaries of election terminology, voter guides, and the translated 

National Mail Voter Registration Form and program updates, 

such as future plans to translate the form into Asian languages. Visitors also have access to translations of major portions

of the Web site in six languages
H H H H H H H H H H H H H
EAC looks forward to educating and engaging the public as we 

embark upon the 2010 federal election cycle

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U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 37

L O O K I N G F O R W A R D

H EAC has reached many HAVA milestones during the 

commission’s brief existence� EAC has adopted the 2005 VVSG

and already issued the next iteration for public comment� The 

federal government’s first voting system certification program 

is up and running and EAC has certified three voting systems� 

The commission has collected and distributed valuable data 

about uniformed and overseas voters, provided best practices 

on ballot design and established the annual Election Voting and 

Administration Survey, the largest and most comprehensive 

survey about election administration ever conducted by the 

federal government� EAC has one of the most comprehensive 

language assistance programs in the federal government, 

offering a wide range of resources for voters in six languages, 

including professional translation of major portions of the EAC 

Web site� 

During the next fiscal year, EAC will build upon the 

achievements it has made to strengthen internal operations� 

The commission will reply upon its Strategic Plan to achieve 

our goals and assist in improving the administration of federal 

elections� Strategic plan components include serving as a 

national clearinghouse, a manager of federal financial assistance, a certifier of voting systems, and a resource for election 

officials throughout the country regarding the administration 

of federal elections� 

Fiscal Year 2010 Activities

In FY 2010, EAC looks forward to awarding grants for voting 

system logic and accuracy testing and disability research totaling $6 million appropriated in FY 2009; improving customer 

service for recipients of HAVA funds; improving the commission’s information technology infrastructure with the hire 

of its first chief information officer; analyzing results of user 

feedback on the quality and usability of our research and training materials; and continuing to provide materials to election 

officials to assist with the administration of federal elections

EAC expects to again obtain a clean audit opinion on 

agency financial statements for Fiscal Year 2010; institute an 

internal integrated budget and financial management system 

in Fiscal Year 2010; and implement 90 percent of OIG audit 

recommendations within agreed upon timeframes

HAVA Funds and Grants

In FY 2010, goals include the accurate and timely disbursement of federal funding, and the identification of ways to 

increase customer service for states by using modern communication tools. For instance, in November, 2009, EAC

hosted its first webinar for states regarding how to complete 

the new federal financial report. We plan to continue offering

cost-effective ways to provide states with real-time assistance 

regarding administration of HAVA funds. The grants division

is developing a program handbook covering each federal 

financial assistance program administered by EAC, and including reporting requirements and monitoring procedures. The

Accessible Voting Technology Initiative and the Voting System 

Pre-Election Logic and Accuracy Testing and Post-Election 

Audit Initiative grant programs will also be administered in FY 

2010

Clearinghouse Resources 

EAC is currently undergoing a major restructuring and upgrade of www.eac.gov that will be the new portal for information about elections collected by EAC. A corresponding E

Clearinghouse policy is also under development. Information about voting systems, grants, best practices in election
38 U.S. Election Assistance Commission www.eac.gov

management, research results, and shared resources provided 

by state and local election jurisdictions will also populate the 

clearinghouse� 

The clearinghouse policy will work to establish the framework and clearly describe the content, which will be presented 

to the public� EAC will redesign and organize its Web site to 

establish a separate and unique location that will house and 

manage all clearinghouse information� EAC’s clearinghouse 

goals will include: 1) that information be posted on the webbased clearinghouse within 24 hours of receipt; 2) regular 

information audits to be conducted in each EAC section to 

make sure the clearinghouse is accurate and current; and 3) 

that stakeholders receive at least one email update per month� 

EAC will also launch a public information initiative about the 

contents and uses of the EAC clearinghouse� After the redesign 

of the EAC Web site, the clearinghouse will be clearly identified and structured based upon the principals of usability and 

sound design� We anticipate that the newly designed Web site 

and clearinghouse policy and contents will be launched in 

March 2010� 

Research, Policy and Programs

In FY 2010, the Research, Policy and Programs Division will 

continue working on research and guidance mandated by 

HAVA, including HAVA sections 301, 302, and 303� In addition, staff will begin the NVRA rulemaking process in 2010 as 

well as working to update translations for the Voters’ Guide to 

Federal Elections� 

The Language Assistance Program staff will also focus its 

efforts to translate the national voter registration form in FY 

2010� At EAC’s November 5, 2009 public meeting, the commission voted unanimously to translate the national voter 

registration form into Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog, 

and Vietnamese� EAC will provide a bilingual translation of 

the application and a monolingual translation of the general 

and state-specific instructions� The action of the commission was based upon recommendations from working group 

discussions and the Technical Study to Analyze the Translation of the National Mail Voter Registration Act Form, a study 

commissioned by EAC which is available at www�eac�gov� EAC 

staff has already begun working on this important initiative 

and EAC plans to make the translated forms available to the 

public prior to the 2010 primary elections� EAC will also review 

the language resources available on its Web site to ensure the 

information is current prior to the federal elections of 2010� 

The Federal Government’s Voting System Testing and 

Certification Program

With three voting systems certified, in FY 2010 the Voting 

System Testing and Certification Program staff will focus its efforts on making sure manufacturers comply with the program’s 

Quality Monitoring Program, as some of EAC’s certified systems may be operating in the field for the first time. Activities

will include manufacturing facility reviews and field reviews 

in those jurisdictions that volunteer for them. Future goals

include completing accreditation reviews for all laboratories 

recommended to EAC by NIST and for all emergency actions 

within 90 days; testing and documenting the results of the 

review of compliance with procedures by 100 percent of accredited laboratories every 2 years; and responding to requests 

for interpretations of voting system standards within 45 days

EAC's Strategic Plan Goals: 2009 through 2014

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Goal One: Communicate

Communicate timely and accurate information on the effective administration of elections for federal office and on the 

operations and services offered EAC by operating the EAC 

clearinghouse effectively; responding to outside requests 

timely and accurately; and conveying results of EAC operations and accomplishments.

Goal Two: Fund and Oversee

Accurately and timely disburse federal financial assistance 

administered by the EAC; effectively monitor federal financial 

assistance administered by the EAC; and provide technical assistance and guidance on the management of federal 

financial assistance administered by the EAC to help the 

states maximize the use of the funds and reduce the risk of 

inappropriate use of funds and accounting errors. 

Goal Three: Study, Guide and Assist

Complete research on issues that improve the administration of elections for federal office and expeditiously report on 

critical administration subjects and election data; and identify 

and collect required and useful data on election administration practices, voting methods and demographics. Make 

recommendations for improving the quality of practices, 

methods, and data; issue guides, translations and other tools 

that are timely and useful; update and maintain a national 

mail voter registration application and report to the Congress 

as required by NVRA. 

Goal 4: Test and Certify

Develop and update the voluntary voting system guidelines; 

provide for the accreditation and revocation of accreditation 

of independent, non-Federal laboratories qualified to test 

voting systems to federal standards; and administer the testing, certification, decertification, and recertification of voting 

system hardware and software by accredited laboratories.

Goal 5: Manage

Implement a high performance organization.
U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 39

As the nation prepares for the 2010 federal elections, EAC 

will expand the commission’s role as a trusted federal resource 

for election information to assist the public and build upon 

the efforts of election officials throughout the nation. Staff

will work to make sure Web site and clearinghouse resources 

continue to stay updated, providing everything from statespecific information about voting to best practices, assistance 

for voters with disabilities, language resources and election 

management materials. In 2010, the public will have more

opportunities to submit input to EAC, comment on future 

policies, and monitor the progress of voting systems being 

tested. Modern communication tools, such as RSS feeds, will

be added throughout the EAC Web site, enabling the public 

to customize the frequency and type of election administration updates they receive. We will continue to encourage state

and local officials to share information about voting system 

performance, contingency plans, and other initiatives so these 

solutions may be shared with election officials throughout the 

nation. EAC will also continue encouraging states to share

contingency plans, such as how to stop or prevent the spread 

of the flu at the polling place

Efforts will continue to increase efficiencies in the Voting 

System Testing and Certification program, without sacrificing the program’s rigorous processes. The public will continue

to receive frequent updates about all aspects of the program, 

from the test plan phase through the issuance of voting system 

certifications. EAC looks forward to educating and engaging

the public as we embark upon the 2010 federal election cycle
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U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 41

A P P E N D I C E S

2009 Tally Votes

Title

Decided 

by Vote of

Date 

Transmitted

Certified 

Date

1. FY 2011 Budget Request 3* 9/25/2009 10/2/2009

2. Appointment of a Designated Agency Ethics Official 3* 9/24/2009 9/26/2009

3. Appointment of an Alternate Agency Ethics Official 3* 9/11/2009 9/16/2009

4. 2009 Help America Vote College Poll Worker Final Recommendations 3* 9/8/2009 9/11/2009

5. 2009 Mock Election Program 3* 9/3/2009 9/8/2009

6. EAC Staff Recommendation to Append the Statutory Overview to the Draft 2010 Election 

Administration and Voting Survey for Public Comment

3* 9/1/2009 9/3/2009

7. EAC Staff Recommendation to Release the Draft 2010 Election Administration and Voting Survey 

for Public Comment

3* 8/17/2009 8/20/2009

8. Advisory Opinion in Response to Whitman County Request to Use $360,000 of Help America 

Vote Act (HAVA) Funds to Finance a Portion of the Costs to Remodel Office Space to be Used as 

an Elections and Voter Registration Processing Center

WITHDRAWN 7/14/2009 WITHDRAWN

9. Advisory Opinion Response Regarding Use of Section 251 Funds to Pay for Training 

Governmental Staff to Perform Preventive Maintenance on Voting Systems in Sacramento, CA

3* 7/14/2009 7/21/2009

10. Advisory Opinion Whether Section 251 Funds Without Section 251(b)(2) Certifications May be 

Used for Ongoing Voter Education Activities

3* 7/14/2009 7/21/2009

11. Advisory Opinion in Response to a Request From the New York State Board of Elections on 

Behalf of Suffolk County, New York, for Approval to Purchase Six Vehicles for a Voter Education 

Program

WITHDRAWN 7/14/2009 WITHDRAWN

12. Advisory Opinion in Response to a Request From the New York State Board of Elections on 

Behalf of Niagara County, New York, for Approval to Purchase a Vehicle for a Voter Education 

Program

WITHDRAWN 7/14/2009 WITHDRAWN

13. EAC Staff Recommendation to Adopt the Election Data Collection Grant Program Evaluation 

Report

3* 6/25/2009 7/1/2009

14. EAC Staff Recommendation to Adopt the 2007-2008 NVRA Report 3* 6/23/2009 6/25/2009

15. Tom Wilkey - Re-Appointment of Executive Director 3* 6/16/2009 6/19/2009

16. Advisory Opinion in Response to a Request from the California Office of the Secretary of State on 

Behalf of Stanislaus County, California, for Approval to use Help America Vote Act Funds (Section 

251(b)(2)(B)) to Pay for Improvements to a Warehouse That is use to Store Voting Equipment

3* 6/16/2009 6/24/2009

17. Advisory Opinion in Response to a Question from Sacramento County, California, on Whether 

Section 251 Funds, Without Either of the Section 251(b)(2) Certifications, May be Used to Pay 

for Training Governmental Staff to Perform Preventive Maintenance on a Voting System

WITHDRAWN 6/15/2009 WITHDRAWN

18. Advisory Opinion in Response to a Question from Sacramento County, California, on Whether 

Section 251 Funds, Without Either of the Section 251(b)(2) Certifications, May be Used for 

Ongoing Voter Education Activities

WITHDRAWN 6/15/2009 WITHDRAWN
42 U.S. Election Assistance Commission www.eac.gov

2009 Tally Votes (continued)

Title

Decided 

by Vote of

Date 

Transmitted

Certified 

Date

19. Advisory Opinion in Response to a Question from Sacramento County, California, on Whether 

Section 251 Funds, Without Either of the Section 251(b)(2) Certifications, May be Used to 

Purchase Vote-By-Mail (Absentee) Envelope Processing Equipment

WITHDRAWN 6/15/2009 WITHDRAWN

20. Advisory Opinion in Response to a Request From Puerto Rico to Use Help America Vote Act 

Funds for Various Purchases

WITHDRAWN 6/15/2009 WITHDRAWN

21. Appointment of Mr. Darren Gann as the EAC Contracting Officer WITHDRAWN 6/15/2009 WITHDRAWN

22. U.S. Election Assistance Commission Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2009 Through 2014 3* 3/24/2009 3/26/2009

23. Approve Appointment of David P. Blackwood as the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s 

General Counsel for a Term of Four (4) Years

2-2 2/5/2009 2/10/2008

24. Close the February 2, 2009 meeting at which the EAC will discuss appointment of a General 

Counsel

4 1/23/2009 1/27/2009

25. Submission for Tally Vote - Approve Appointment of David P. Blackwood as the U.S. Election 

Assistance Commission’s General Counsel for a Term of Four (4) Years

WITHDRAWN 1/22/2009 WITHDRAWN

26. Close the portion of the January 15, 2009 meeting at which the EAC will discuss appointment of 

a General Counsel

4 1/7/2009 1/7/2009

27. Adoption of Executive Order (December 19, 2008) Regarding Across the Board Pay Increase to 

Government Employees

4 12/19/2008 1/5/2009

28. Approval and Filing of the FACA Charter for the EAC Board of Advisors 4 12/17/2008 1/5/2009

29. Approve Appointment of David P. Blackwood as the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s 

General Counsel Effective January 9, 2009, For a Term of Four (4) Years.

2-1-1** 12/11/2008 1/5/2009

30. Updates to Minnesota State Instructions on the National Voter Registration Form 4 12/16/2008 12/21/2008

31. Gineen Beach - Chair and Gracia Hillman - Vice Chair 4 12/15/2008 12/18/2008

32. Posting Proposed Working Group Policy for Notice and Public Comment 4 12/10/2008 12/12/2008

33. Advisory Opinion in Response to Question Regarding Use of HAVA Funds to Replace Voting 

Systems Purchased with HAVA Funds

4 11/24/2008 12/3/2008

34. Advisory Opinion in Response to Question Regarding Certifications Filed Under HAVA Section 

251(b)(2)

4 11/24/2008 12/3/2008

35. Advisory Opinion in Response to Question Regarding Revolving Loan Fund in West Virginia 4 11/24/2008 12/3/2008

36. Close the portion of the December 8, 2008 meeting at which the EAC will discuss selection of a 

General Counsel

4 11/13/2008 11/17/2008

37. Appointing Gineen Beach as the Designated Federal Officer to the EAC Standards Board 4 10/27/2008 10/28/2008

38. Approval and Filing of the FACA Charter for the EAC Standards Board 4 10/23/2008 10/28/2008

*Since February 2009, there has been one vacancy on the commission

** Two votes to disapprove, one to approve, and one objection
U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 43

2009 EAC Board of Advisors

Appointed by First Name Last Name Title City State

National Conference of State Legislatures Thomas Upton Reynolds Mississippi State Representative Charleston MS 

National Conference of State Legislatures Sue Landske Senator – Asst. Pres. ProTem Indiana State 

Senate

Cedar Lake IN

National Governors Association Chris Nelson South Dakota Secretary of State Pierre SD

National Governors Association Mary E. Herrera New Mexico Secretary of State Albuquerque NM

National Association of Secretaries of State Trey Grayson Kentucky Secretary of State Frankfort KY

National Association of Secretaries of State Pedro A. Cortès Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Harrisburg PA

National Association of State Election 

Directors

Christopher Thomas Director of Elections, State of Michigan Lansing MI

National Association of State Election 

Directors 

Linda H. Lamone Maryland Administrator of Elections Annapolis MD

National Association of Counties Wendy Noren Boone County Clerk Columbia MO

National Association of Counties Helen Purcell Maricopa County Recorder Phoenix AZ

National Association of County Recorders, 

Election Officials and Clerks

Neal Kelley Registrar of Voters, Orange County, CA Santa Ana CA

National Association of County Recorders, 

Election Officials and Clerks

David Orr Cook County Clerk Chicago IL

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Abigail Thernstrom Vice Chair, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Lexington MA

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Arlan D. Melendez Commissioner, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Reno NV

Election Center Doug Lewis Executive Director, Election Center Houston TX

Election Center Ernie Hawkins Former Registrar of Voters, Sacramento County Elk Grove CA

United States Conference of Mayors Frank Ortis Mayor, City of Pembroke Pines Pembroke Pines FL

United States Conference of Mayors Vacant 

International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials, and TreasurersElizabeth Ensley Election Commissioner, Shawnee County, 

Kansas

Topeka KS

International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials, and TreasurersBill Cowles Supervisor of Elections, Orange County, FL Orlando FL

Architectural and Transportation Barriers 

Compliance Board

Ron Gardner Director of Field Services, National Federation of 

the Blind of Utah

Bountiful UT

Architectural and Transportation Barriers 

Compliance Board

Phillip Jenkins Accessibility Consultant, Business Development 

Consultant and Senior Engineer, IBM Human 

Ability and Accessibility Center

Austin TX

Chief, Public Integrity Section, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of JusticeCraig Donsanto Director, Election Crimes Branch, U.S. Department of JusticeWashington DC

Chief, Voting Section, Civil Rights Division, 

U.S. Department of Justice

Vacant

Director, Federal Voting Assistance Program, U.S. Department of DefenseBob Carey Director, Federal Voting Assistance Program, 

U.S. Department of Defense

Washington DC

House Speaker Lillie Coney Associate Director, Electronic Privacy Information 

Center

Washington DC

House Minority Leader Tom Fuentes Senior Fellow, The Claremont Institute Lake Forest CA

Senate Majority Leader Dr. Barbara Simons Researcher Palo Alto CA 

Senate Minority Leader Sarah Ball Johnson Executive Director, Kentucky State Board of 

Elections

Frankfort KY

House Administration—Chair Joseph F. Crangle Attorney, Colucci & Gallaher, P.C. Buffalo NY
44 U.S. Election Assistance Commission www.eac.gov

2009 EAC Board of Advisors (continued)

Appointed by First Name Last Name Title City State

House Administration—Chair Donald A. Jones Advocate Willingboro NJ

House Administration—Ranking Minority 

Member 

Terri Hegarty City Clerk, City of Grand Rapids Grand Rapids MI

House Administration—Ranking Minority 

Member 

Keith Cunningham Director, Allen County Board of Elections Lima OH

Senate Rules and Administration—Chair James C. Dickson V.P. for Governmental Affairs, American Association of People With DisabilitiesWashington DC

Senate Rules and Administration—Chair Robin Carnahan Missouri Secretary of State Jefferson City MO

Senate Rules and Administration—Ranking 

Minority Member

LuAnn Adams County Recorder/Clerk of Box Elder County Brigham City UT

Senate Rules and Administration—Ranking 

Minority Member

Vacant

The following former members of the EAC Board of Advisors served in fiscal year 2009: 

Barbara Arnwine, Executive Director, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Butch Bowers, U.S. Department of Justice, Voting Section, Civi

Rights Division; Polli Brunelli, Director, Federal Voting Assistance Program, U.S. Department of Defense; Tom Bush, Interim Director, Federal Voting Assistance Program, U.S. Department of Defense; Honorable Gary R. Herbert, Governor of Utah; Rhine L. McLin, Mayor, City of Dayton, Ohio; Neil Me

Construction Services Director, City of West Palm Beach; Todd Rokita, Indiana Secretary of State
U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 45

2009 EAC Standards Board

State Designee First Last Title City State

Alabama State Beth Chapman Alabama Secretary of State Montgomery AL

Alabama Local George M. Ingram Judge of Probate, Clay County Ashland AL

Alaska State Gail Fenumiai Director, Division of Elections Juneau AK

Alaska Local Shelly Growden Election Supervisor Region III, Division of Elections Fairbanks AK

American Samoa State Soliai T. Fuimaono Chief Election Officer Pago Pago AS

American Samoa Local Taufete’e John Faumuina HAVA Manager Pago Pago AS

Arizona State Amy Bjelland Arizona Deputy Secretary of State Phoenix AZ

Arizona Local Reynaldo Valenzuela Assistant Director of Elections Phoenix AZ

Arkansas State Janet Harris Arkansas Deputy Secretary of State Little Rock AR

Arkansas Local Crystal Graddy Boone County Clerk Harrison AR

California State Lowell Finley California Deputy Secretary of State Sacramento CA

California Local Stephen Weir County Clerk Contra Costa County Martinez CA

Colorado State Stephanie Cegielski Voting Equipment Certification Program Manager Denver CO

Colorado Local Russ Ragsdale Clerk and Recorder, City and County of Broomfield Broomfield CO

Connecticut State Ted Bromley Staff Attorney, Legislation and Elections Administration 

Division, Office of the Connecticut Secretary of State

Hartford CT

Connecticut Local Anthony Esposito Hamden Republican Registrar of Voters Hamden CT

Delaware State Elaine Manlove Commissioner of Elections Dover DE

Delaware Local Howard G. Sholl, Jr. Deputy Administrative Director Wilmington DE

District of Columbia State Rokey Suleman Executive Director, DC Board of Elections & Ethics Washington DC

District of Columbia Local Jonda McFarlane Board Member Washington DC

Florida State Donald Palmer Director, Division of Elections, Florida Department of 

State

Tallahassee FL

Florida Local Lori Edwards Polk County Supervisor of Elections Bartow FL

Georgia State Karen Handel Secetary of State Atlanta GA

Georgia Local Lynn Bailey Executive Director Augusta GA

Guam State VACANT GU

Guam Local Gerald A. Taitano Executive Director Hagatna GU

Hawaii State Scott Nago Section Head Honolulu HI

Hawaii Local Lyndon Yoshioka Kaua’i County Election Administrator Lihu’e HI

Idaho State Timothy A. Hurst Chief Deputy Coeur d’Alene ID

Idaho Local Dan English Kootenai County Clerk Boise ID

Illinois State Daniel W. White Executive Director Springfield IL

Illinois Local Richard Cowen Chicago Board of Election Commissioners Chicago IL

Indiana State Brad King Co-Director, Indiana Election Division Indianapolis IN

Indiana Local Shelly Parris Sullivan County Circuit Court Clerk Sullivan IN

Iowa State Sarah Reisetter Director of Elections Des Moines IA

Iowa Local Janine Sulzner Jones County Auditor Anamosa IA

Kansas State Ron Thornburgh Kansas Secretary of State Topeka KS

Kansas Local Donald Merriman Saline County Clerk Saline KS

Kentucky State Sarah Ball Johnson Executive Director, Kentucky State Board of Elections Frankfort KY

Kentucky Local Jack Snodgrass Campbell County Clerk Newport KY

Louisiana State Angie LaPlace Louisiana Commissioner of Elections Baton Rouge LA

Louisiana Local H. Lynn Jones, II Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court Lake Charles LA

Maine State Julie L. Flynn Maine Deputy Secretary of State Augusta ME

Maine Local Lucette Pellerin City Clerk Saco ME
46 U.S. Election Assistance Commission www.eac.gov

2009 EAC Standards Board (continued)

State Designee First Last Title City State

Maryland State Nikki Baines Trella Election Reform Director Annapolis MD

Maryland Local James Massey, Jr. Election Director, Harford County Board of Elections Forest Hill MD

Massachusetts State William F. Gavin Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Boston MA

Massachusetts Local John McGarry Executive Director, Election Commission Brockton MA

Michigan State Susan McRill Administrative Manager, QVF Help Desk & Field Svcs. Lansing MI

Michigan Local Tonni Bartholomew Troy City Clerk Troy MI

Minnesota State Gary Poser Director of Elections St. Paul MN

Minnesota Local Sharon K. Anderson Cass County Auditor-Treasurer Walker MN

Mississippi State John Helmert Mississippi Assistant Secretary of State – Elections Jackson MS

Mississippi Local Robert Harrell Circuit Clerk, Clay County West Point MS

Missouri State Leslye Winslow Senior Counsel to Missouri Secretary of State Jefferson City MO

Missouri Local Richard T. Struckhoff Greene County Clerk Springfield MO

Montana State Jorge Quintana Chief Legal Counsel Helena MT 

Montana Local Duane Winslow Yellowstone County Election Administrator Billings MT 

Nebraska State John Gale Nebraska Secretary of State Lincoln NE

Nebraska Local David Dowling Cedar County Clerk & Election Commissioner Hartington NE

Nevada State Matthew Griffin Nevada Deputy Secretary of State for Elections Carson City NV

Nevada Local Harvard L. Lomax Clark County Registrar of Voters North Las Vegas NV

New Hampshire State Anthony Stevens New Hampshire Assistant Secretary of State Concord NH

New Hampshire Local Robert Dezmelyk Moderator, Town of Newton Newton NH

New Jersey State Robert Giles Director Trenton NJ

New Jersey Local Linda Von Nessi Clerk of the Board Newark NJ

New Mexico State Mary Herrera New Mexico Secretary of State Santa Fe NM

New Mexico Local Bob Bartelsmeyer Election Supervisor, Dona Ana County Las Cruces NM

New York State Jeffrey Pearlman Assistant Counsel to the Governor Albany NY

New York Local Carolee Sunderland Election Commissioner, Westchester Board of Elections White Plains NY

North Carolina State Gary Bartlett Executive Director, State Board of Elections Raleigh NC

North Carolina Local Deborah J. Bedford Director of Elections Rutherford NC

North Dakota State I. James Silrum North Dakota Deputy Secretary of State Bismarck ND

North Dakota Local Michael M. Montplaisir Cass County Auditor Fargo ND

Ohio State Brandi Seskes Counsel to the Ohio Board of Voting Machine 

Examiners

Columbus OH

Ohio Local Dale Fellows Member, Lake County Board of Elections Willoughby Hills OH

Oklahoma State Thomas Prince Chairman, State Election Board Edmond OK

Oklahoma Local Doug Sanderson Secretary, Oklahoma County Election Board Oklahoma City OK

Oregon State Steve Trout Director, Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division Salem OR

Oregon Local Tamara (Tami) Green Baker County Clerk Baker City OR

Pennsylvania State Chet Harhut Commissioner, Bureau of Commissions, Elections & 

Legislation

Harrisburg PA

Pennsylvania Local Regis Young Butler County Election Director Butler PA

Puerto Rico State Nestor J. Colón 

Berlingeri

First Vice President San Juan PR

Puerto Rico Local María D. Santiago 

Rodríguez

Second Vice President San Juan PR

Rhode Island State Robert Kando Executive Director, State Board of Elections Providence RI

Rhode Island Local VACANT RI
U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 47

2009 EAC Standards Board (continued)

State Designee First Last Title City State

South Carolina State Marci Andino Executive Director Columbia SC

South Carolina Local Marilyn Bowers Executive Director Charleston SC

South Dakota State Kea Warne State Election Supervisor Pierre SD

South Dakota Local Patty McGee Sully County Auditor Onida SD

Tennessee State Mark Goins State Coordinator of Elections Nashville TN

Tennessee Local Marshall McKamey Campbell County Election Commissioner LaFollette TN

Texas State Ann McGeehan Director of the Elections Division, Office of the Texas 

Secretary of State

Austin TX

Texas Local Dana DeBeauvoir Travis County Clerk Austin TX

Utah State Mark J. Thomas Office Administrator, Office of the Lieutenant Governor Salt Lake City UT

Utah Local Robert Pero Carbon County Clerk Price UT

Vermont State Kathleen DeWolfe Director of Elections Montpelier VT

Vermont Local Melissa Ross Hinesburg Town Clerk Hinesburg VT

Virgin Islands State John Abramson, Jr. Supervisor of Elections Kingshill, St. Croix VI

Virgin Islands Local Corinne Halyard 

Plaskett

Deputy Supervisor of Elections Kingshill, St. Croix VI

Virginia State James Alcorn Confidential Asst. Policy Analyst Richmond VA 

Virginia Local Allen Harrison, Jr. Chair, Arlington County Electoral Board Arlington VA 

Washington State Nixon Handy Director of Elections Olympia WA

Washington Local Kristina Swanson Cowlitz County Auditor Kelso WA

West Virginia State Layna ValentineBrown

HAVA Coordinator Charleston WV

West Virginia Local Jeff Waybright Jackson County Clerk Ripley WV

Wisconsin State Nathaniel Robinson Election Division Administrator Madison WI

Wisconsin Local Sandra L. Wesolowski Franklin County Clerk Franklin WI

Wyoming State Peggy Nighswonger State Election Director Cheyenne WY

Wyoming Local Julie Freese Fremont County Clerk Lander WY

The following former members of the EAC Standards Board served in fiscal year 2009:

District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics Chairman Errol Arthur; Hinds County, Mississippi Election Commissioner Marilyn Avery;

Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana Clerk of Court Louie Bernard; Fayette County, Kentucky Clerk Don Blevins; Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner; 

Woburn, Massachusetts City Clerk William Campbell; Brattleboro, Vermont Town Clerk Annette Cappy; Jamestown, Rhode Island Chair of the Board 

of Canvassers Marian Clarke; Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro Cortes; Utah Lt. Governor Deputy Chief of Staff Michael Cragun;

Louisiana Secretary of State Jay Dardenne; Montana Chief Legal Counsel/Asst. Chief Deputy Janice Doggett; Dyer County, Tennessee Election Commissioner Joe Enoch; Wisconsin Elections Specialist Ross Hein; Spencer, Indiana Circuit Court Clerk Ann Jochim; Manchester, New Hampshire Deputy City

Clerk Carol Johnson; Virginia Deputy Secretary of the State Board of Elections Valarie Jones; State of Connecticut Managing Attorney Michael Kozik; Iowa 

Deputy Secretary of State Elections Linda Langenberg; Texas Director of Elections Ann McGeehan; Pierce County, Washington Auditor Pat McCarthy; 

North Carolina Deputy Director of the State Board of Elections Johnnie McLean; Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller; Mississippi Assistant Secretary of 

State Linda Rigsby; Virginia Secretary of the State Board of Elections Nancy Rodrigues; Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita; Minnehaha County, South 

Dakota Auditor Sue Roust; Rhode Island Director of Elections Jan Ruggiero; West Virginia Special Assistant Elections Division Susan Silverman; Benton 

County, Arkansas Clerk Mary Lou Slinkard; Broward County, Florida Supervisor of Elections Dr. Brenda Snipes; Honolulu, Hawaii Election Administrator

Glen Takahashi; Virgin Islands Election System Deputy Supervisor Natalie Thomas; Tennessee State Coordinator of Elections Brook Thompson; Arizona 

Deputy Secretary of State Kevin Tyne; Boone County, West Virginia, Clerk Gary W. Williams; Missoula County, Montana Clerk and Recorder/Treasurer

Vickie Zeier
48 U.S. Election Assistance Commission www.eac.gov

2009 Technical Guidelines Development Committee

Appointed by First Last Title City State

Director of NIST Dr. Patrick D. Gallagher Committee Chair, Director of the National Institute of Standards and 

Technology

Gaithersburg MD

Standards Board Donald Palmer Director, Division of Elections, Florida Department of State Tallahassee FL

Standards Board Russell G. Ragsdale Clerk and Recorder, City and County of Broomfield Broomfield CO

Board of Advisors Linda Lamone Maryland Administrator of Elections Annapolis MD

Board of Advisors Helen Purcell Recorder, Maricopa County Arizona Phoenix AZ

Access Board Ron Gardner Director of Field Services, National Federation of the Blind of Utah Bountiful UT

Access Board Phillip Jenkins Accessibility Consultant, Business Development Consultant and Senior 

Engineer, IBM Human Ability and Accessibility Center

Austin TX

ANSI Dr. David Wagner Professor, University of California-Berkeley Berkeley CA

IEEE Patrick McDaniel Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, 

Pennsylvania State University

University Park PA

NASED Ann McGeehan Director of the Elections Division, Office of the Texas Secretary of 

State

Austin TX

NASED Paul Miller Senior Technology Advisor, Elections Division, State of Washington, 

Office of the Secretary of State

Olympia WA

Other Tech/Sci Dr. Steven Bellovin Professor of Computer Science, Columbia, University New York NY

Other Tech/Sci Dr. Diane Cordry Golden Program Coordinator, Association of Assistive Technology Act 

Programs

Grain Valley MO

Other Tech/Sci Dr. Douglas Jones Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science, University of 

Iowa

Iowa City IA

Other Tech/Sci Edwin Smith, III Vice President, Compliance and Certification, Dominion Voting Systems Longmont CO

Access Board = Architectural and Transportation Barrier Compliance Board

ANSI = American National Standards Institute.

IEEE = Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

MIT = Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

NASED = National Association of State Election Directors.

The following former members of the EAC Technical Guidelines Development Committee served in fiscal year 2009: 

Patrick Gannon, President and CEO of OASIS; Dr. Cem Kaner, Professor of Software Engineering, Florida Institute of Technology; Neil Melick, Construction Services Director, City of West Palm Beach, FL; Dr. Whitney Quesenbery, President, Usability Professionals’ Association; Dr. Ronald L. Rivest, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, MIT, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Dr. Daniel Schutzer, President, Financial Ser

Technology Consortium; Dr. Britain Williams, Retired Professor, Kennesaw State, University of Georgi
U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 49

B I O G R A P H I E S

COMMISSIONER

Gineen Beach, Chair

Ms. Gineen Bresso Beach was nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the Unite

States Senate on October 2, 2008 to serve on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC). Ms. Be

was elected Chair of the EAC for 2009. Her term of service extends through December 12, 200

Prior to her appointment with EAC, Commissioner Beach was the minority elections counsel 

for the Committee on House Administration. She previously served as a policy advisor to former

Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. where her primary area of focus was on election law. S

also served as an attorney-advisor for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where she reviewed an

prosecuted applications for federal trademark registration. She also served as a judicial law clerk for

the Honorable Arrie W. Davis, in the Maryland Court of Special Appeal

Ms. Beach received her Juris Doctor from Western New England College School of Law (1999)

where she was a member of the Law Review. In 1995, she received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Massachusetts at Amhers

COMMISSIONER

Gracia Hillman, Vice Chair

Gracia M. Hillman was nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by unanimous consent of the U.S. Senate on December 9, 2003, to serve an initial two-year term on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC). She was reappointed to a second term on October 2, 2008. Ms.

was elected Vice-Chair of the EAC for 2009. She served as Chair of the EAC in 2005, after serving as

the Agency’s first Vice Chair in 2004. Her term of service extends through December 12, 200

A Massachusetts native who first entered community service in 1970, Ms. Hillman has effectively handled both domestic and international issues throughout her career. Her areas of expertis

include nonprofit management, public policy and program development, and the interests and rights 

of women and minorities, including voting rights. She has traveled extensively throughout the United

States, meeting with national and local groups and businesses. Through her international work, M

Hillman has traveled in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and Europe. She conducted nonpartisan political

training in Haiti and Kenya, and participated in United Nations sponsored conferences in Vienna, 

Beijing, and New York City

Prior to her appointment with EAC, Ms. Hillman served as President and Chief Executive Officer of WorldSpace Foundation, a nonprofit organization that uses digital satellite technology to
50 U.S. Election Assistance Commission www.eac.gov

deliver educational programming to Africa and Asia. She also served as the U.S. Department of State

first Senior Coordinator for International Women’s Issues, developing agency-wide strategies to 

ensure U.S. foreign policy promoted and protected women’s righ

Her work experience includes having served as Executive Director of the League of Women Voters 

of the United States, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and the National Coalition on Black 

Voter Participation. She also held positions as Executive Consultant to the Council on Foundations,

and Coordinator of the Voter Law Policy Project for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

Throughout the 1980s, Ms. Hillman championed nonpartisan and bipartisan efforts to ensure

open access to the voting process for all citizens and the continued voting rights of minority Americans, including work on the historic 25-year extension of the National Voting Rights Act. Her political

experience includes paid and volunteer positions on numerous campaigns, including a role as Senior 

Advisor on Congressional and Constituent Relations for the 1988 Dukakis for President Campaign

Ms. Hillman has one son and currently resides in Washington, D

COMMISSIONER

Donetta Davidson

Ms. Donetta L. Davidson was nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by unanimo

consent of the United States Senate on July 28, 2005 to serve on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC). She was reappointed to a second term on October 2, 2008. Ms. Davidson served as C

of the EAC in 2007 and Vice Chair in 2008. Her term of service extends through December 12, 201

Ms. Davidson, formerly Colorado’s secretary of state, comes to EAC with experience in almost every

area of election administration - everything from county clerk to secretary of state

Ms. Davidson began her career in election administration when she was elected in 1978 as

the Bent County clerk and recorder in Las Animas, Colorado, a position she held until 1986. Later

that year, she was appointed director of elections for the Colorado Department of State, where she 

worked with county clerks in all election matters and assisted with recall issues for municipal, special district and school district elections

In 1994, she was elected Arapahoe County clerk and recorder and reelected to a second term in 

1998. The next year, Colorado Governor Bill Owens appointed Davidson as the Colorado secretary of

state, and she was elected to in 2000 and reelected in 2002 for a four year term

She has served on the Federal Election Commission Advisory Panel and the board of directors of 

the Help America Vote Foundation. In 2005, Ms. Davidson was elected president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, and she is the former president of the National Association of Stat

Elections Directors (NASED). Prior to her EAC appointment, Ms. Davidson served on EAC’s Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGD

In 2005, Government Technology magazine named Ms. Davidson one of its “Top 25: Dreamers,

Doers, and Drivers” in recognition of her innovative approach to improve government services. She

was also the 1993 recipient of the Henry Toll Fellowship of Council of State Governments

Davidson has devoted much of her professional life to election administration, but her first love 

is her family. Ms. Davidson was born into a military family in Liberal, Kansas and became a Coloradoan shortly thereafter when her family moved first to Two Buttes then to Las Animas where the

settled. Whenever possible Ms. Davidson spends time with her family, son Todd, daughter, and sonin-law Trudie and Todd Berich and granddaughters Brittany and Nicol
U.S. Election Assistance Commission 2009 Annual Report 51

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Tom Wilkey

By unanimous vote of the Commissioners, Executive Director Thomas R. Wilkey was reappointed

to serve another four year term beginning June 20, 2009. Mr. Wilkey has served in this position sinc

2005

Tom Wilkey thought he had successfully retired when he stepped down as the executive director of the New York State Board of Elections in 2003. After all, he had observed his 34th year in

election administration, working on everything from counting ballots to developing voting system 

standards to working to craft the most sweeping election reform in our nation’s history

Wilkey was the perfect candidate to become the first permanent executive director of the U.

Election Assistance Commission, the new federal entity created by the law he helped craft, the Help 

America Vote Act of 2002

After his brief career as an elementary teacher, Wilkey joined the Erie County Board of Elections 

(Buffalo, New York) in November 1968 as an elections clerk. He subsequently rose to the position of

senior election deputy prior to joining the New York State Board of Elections in 1979 as public information officer

In 1985, Wilkey was promoted to the newly created position of director of elections operations, 

which was formed to administer oversight of New York’s 57 county boards. His new duties included

personal visits to those county boards, thus enabling him to see first-hand the dynamics of New 

York’s network of diverse local elections offices. Criss-crossing the state to review jurisdictions servicing the smallest constituency (4,400) and the largest (3.3 million), Wilkey shared his problem-resolution skills and expertise at each opportunity. His responsibilities soon grew to include the creati

and supervision of New York’s voting systems certification program. In 2005, the certification process

will be transferred to EAC as mandated by HAVA. This marks the first time a federal entity will be

responsible for the certification of voting systems

Wilkey was appointed the second executive director of the New York State Board of Elections in 

June of 1992 – a position he held until August of 2003

Wilkey has been associated with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for many years. In

1983, he served on the Voting Systems Standards Committee, which drafted and reviewed the FEC’s 

Voting System Standards, a voluntary testing, qualification and certification process used for all voting systems in the United States

In 1992, Wilkey was appointed to the FEC’s Advisory Panel, which consisted of 20 state, county 

and local election administrators. It advised the FEC on clearinghouse projects and allocation of

funds for election administration projects

During 1983, Wilkey and a small group of election administrators from throughout the country 

pushed for the creation of the International Center on Election Law. Today, the Center represents

more than 1,000 foreign, state, county and local election officials. His involvement led to his appointment as chair of the Center’s Professional Development Committee, which now runs the first

university-based professional development program for election officials. In 1995, Wilkey was recognized for his service by his appointment to the Board of Directors of the Cente

An early proponent of the creation of the National Association of State Election Directors, 

Wilkey has served as secretary, treasurer, vice president and was elected president for 1996-1997. In

January 1997, Wilkey was named chair of NASED’s Independent Test Authority Accreditation Board, 

which reviews and approves laboratories and technical groups for the testing of voting systems 

under NASED’s national accreditation program. He was reappointed as chair in February 200

An early an active promoter of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), Wilkey has served 

as chair of the NVRA Committee of NASED and as a member of the FEC Ad Hoc Discussion Group 

for NVRA
52 U.S. Election Assistance Commission www.eac.gov

In 1998, the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Federal Voting Assistance Program named 

Wilkey to its State and Local Alliance Board. The Board advises the Federal Voting Assistance Program about ongoing programs to support and facilitate absentee voting requirements for more than

six million military and overseas voters

Following the 2000 general election, Wilkey was named to several national commissions to 

study election reform, including those representing the National Association of Secretaries of State, 

National Association of Counties, Council of State Governments and the Election Center. Beginning

in May 2001, Wilkey was asked by the FEC to assist with the drafting revised federal Voting System 

Standards, due for completion in April 2002. In addition, Wilkey was actively involved with the development of the Help America Vote Act of 2002, which Congress passed and the President signed into

law in October 2002

Long active in church activities, Wilkey is a member of St. Vincent De Paul parish in Alban

From 1999 to 2002, Wilkey served on the Pastoral Council for the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and was a member of its choir. He also established an endowment to the Sisters of Mercy of

Rochester – the Thomas R. Wilkey Heritage Project – which provides funding to restore and preserve

its archival collections and documents of their many ministries