STRATEGIC PLAN 

FY 2022-FY 2027
TABLE OF CONTENTS

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5

INTRODUCTION 6

AGENCY STRUCTURE 7

ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT 8

AGENCY ORGANIZATION CHART 9

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK 10

IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATION OF THIS PLAN 11

STRATEGIC GOAL 1 16

STRATEGIC GOAL 2 20

STRATEGIC GOAL 3 27

CONTRIBUTING DIVISIONS 36

2 U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
MESSAGE FROM THE 

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

Mona Harrington

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is entering a new phase in meeting and exceeding our mission to 

help election officials improve the administration of elections and help Americans participate in the voting process. 

Through a nimble and proactive management approach, the agency has established itself as a critical support of 

election administration. Recent advances have positioned the EAC to fully meet and surpass our mission in the next 

five years. 

Strengthen American Elections Through the Development and Implementation of Responsive and Dynamic 

Voting System Guidelines and Cyber Resources for Election Officials 

The EAC is charged with developing and implementing 

the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG), 

a set of specifications and requirements that voting 

systems including voting devices and software, 

must meet in order to receive a certification from 

the EAC. The VVSG include guidance on design, 

quality, cybersecurity, transparency, interoperability, 

accessibility, privacy, usability, secrecy, access control, 

physical security, data protection, system integration, 

detection, and monitoring of voting systems. The 

security of our voting systems has never been under 

more public scrutiny, with citizens relying upon election 

officials to protect their vote from interference. These 

developments have made the VVSG a cornerstone of 

American elections as state and local officials rely upon 

the EAC to develop a dynamic and responsive system to 

protect elections. 

Over the next five years, the EAC will evolve the 

existing guidelines to ensure the VVSG remains an 

agile and dynamic document, ensuring voting systems 

meet the modern-day security standards of the next 

decade. The EAC will also create guidelines for other 

election technologies to fortify all steps of the election 

process beginning with electronic poll books, or e-poll 

books. The program will develop requirements and 

responsibilities for participants in the program, a way 

for manufacturers to register to formally participate, 

testing requirements and procedures, reporting and 

certification artifacts, and include a quality monitoring 

program. By developing these guidelines, while 

establishing a system for continual updates to the 

VVSG, the EAC can ensure election officials have 

modern and responsive guidelines by which to certify 

their equipment. 

STRATEGIC PLAN 3
Encourage Improvements to Election Administration Through the Development and Distribution of Resources 

that Assist Election Officials in Modernizing American Elections 

The EAC was established to serve as a clearinghouse 

on election administration information and best 

practices. To best serve election officials in this 

endeavor, the EAC has brought in experts in areas 

of election administration including accessibility, 

language access, election law, and election operations 

to research, collect, and establish best practices. 

Over the next five years, the EAC will build upon 

existing expertise to provide innovative research and 

best practices to enable election officials to run safe, 

secure, accurate, and accessible elections. By providing 

research and resources on emerging and difficult issues 

in election administration, the EAC can maximize 

efficiencies and the agency’s position as a national 

clearinghouse to best serve election officials. 

Create Operational Excellence Throughout Agency Management and Programming 

In addition to the two program specific goals, the EAC 

will focus for the next five years on the continued 

development of the agency. The EAC takes seriously 

the responsibility to effectively and responsibly 

maximize the funding it receives from the American 

taxpayer. The agency’s 2018 strategic plan created a 

stronger, adaptable, and more efficient EAC. Through 

reorganization and strategic hiring, the EAC has 

become an agency that excels in meeting its statutorily 

mandated mission. 

Over the next five years, the EAC will evolve from a 

young agency establishing programs and rebuilding 

from a period of uncertainty into a thriving federal 

workforce serving election officials, the American 

public, and agency employees. Through establishing 

internal structures and tools, the EAC will improve its 

ability to serve its stakeholders through good federal 

partnerships, strategic planning, and efficient structures 

and processes. 

The EAC expects the period of FY 2022 - FY 2027 

to be a pivotal time in the history of the EAC. Just 

as election administration and technology evolve 

and improve, so must the EAC in order to best serve 

election officials and voters. This exciting period 

promises growth and evolution in service of our mission. 

We look forward to serving our stakeholders and helping 

to improve the administration of elections during 

this period. 

4 U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
EXECUTIVE 

SUMMARY 

MISSION STATEMENT 

The U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission helps election officials 

improve the administration of 

elections and helps Americans 

participate in the voting process. 

VISION STATEMENT 

A trusted, proactive, and responsive 

federal agency that helps election 

officials administer and voters 

participate in elections. 

FY 2022-FY 2023 Agency Priority Goals 

Contribute to the cyber-resilience of the 

American election administration system. 

Actively engage stakeholders and assist 

election officials to conduct safe, secure, 

accurate, and accessible elections in 2022 

and beyond. 

Implement the Voluntary Voting System 

Guidelines lifecycle policy to establish a 

regular update process and deprecation of 

older versions. 

Optimize performance throughout agency 

operations. 

 The above Agency Priority Goals were designed to 

focus the agency’s work on certain priorities while 

working toward the Strategic Goals listed on the 

following pages. These Priority Goals are subject 

to change on an annual basis, per the priority and 

objectives of each EAC chairperson.

1

3

2

4

STRATEGIC PLAN 5
INTRODUCTION

Twenty years ago, the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) created 

the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC). Despite being one of the 

newest and smallest federal agencies, the EAC was tasked with a critical 

mission to help strengthen American elections through a focus on election 

administration and assisting election officials to meet the challenges of the 

time. The original expectations of the agency - serving as a clearinghouse of 

information and best practices, transitioning from outdated voting systems, 

and managing grants to the states - have since expanded in both size and 

importance as elections and technology have rapidly evolved. Since its 

inception, the EAC has created robust guidelines for the next generation 

of voting technology, produced research and best practices on election 

administration and emerging topics, provided training for over a thousand 

election officials on cybersecurity, and assisted election officials as they 

conducted elections during a pandemic. 

Despite historic funding shortages, the EAC has remained agile in its 

methods to meet its mission including adding expertise to the federal 

workforce and reorganizing as appropriate. The next phase of EAC work will 

allow the agency to build upon the victories of the first 20 years of HAVA, 

utilizing new expertise and close collaboration with federal partners to 

address the increasing threats to American elections and those who 

run them. 

As a small and rapidly evolving agency, the ability of the EAC to meet 

the goals in this strategic plan is highly dependent upon funding levels. 

Through continued investment in the agency, the EAC believes the agency 

can become a model federal agency effectively using funding, engaging 

meaningfully with the public, and directly serving our stakeholders to 

address high priority concerns and an evolving elections landscape. Cuts or 

lulls in funding could directly impact the ability of the EAC to achieve each 

of the strategic goals in this plan. 

The mission outlined in HAVA has never been more critical to elections, 

the cornerstone of American democracy. The EAC has never been better 

positioned to excel in its mission and serve the election officials on the front 

lines of the electoral process. 

20

YEARS

OF HAVA

6 U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
The EAC is a legislatively created independent federal Commission. It 

consists of four Commissioners, EAC professional staff, and the EAC’s 

Inspector General. The agency also has four federal advisory committees: 

the EAC Board of Advisors, the EAC Standards Board, the EAC Technical 

Guidelines Development Committee, and the Local Leadership Council. 

The EAC has two Congressional Oversight Committees, the U.S. House of 

Representatives Committee on House Administration and the U.S. Senate 

Rules and Administration Committee. 

The EAC’s four Commissioners are presidential appointees selected upon 

recommendation of Congressional leadership and confirmed by the U.S. 

Senate. The agency’s chartering legislation, the Help America Vote Act of 

2002 (HAVA), provides for the appointment of two Commissioners by the 

majority party and two Commissioners by the minority party. This helps to 

ensure the agency works to achieve its mission in a bipartisan manner. 

The EAC’s professional staff members possess expertise in election 

administration, election technology, accessibility, administration, 

communications, federal compliance, federal grant management, finance, 

law, and management. The size of the EAC’s professional staff has varied 

since the agency’s inception but has recently grown due to budgetary 

investment in the agency. At the time of this plan’s drafting, the EAC’s 

professional staff consisted of 43 full-time staff members. 

The EAC’s three statutorily mandated advisory boards represent a broad 

set of EAC stakeholders, and each board makes distinct contributions to 

the EAC’s work. The EAC Standards Board consists of 110 members, 55 

state elections officials selected by their respective chief state election 

official and 55 local election officials selected through a process supervised 

by the chief state election official. The EAC Board of Advisors consists of 

35 members who represent specific interests in the field of elections. The 

EAC Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC) assists the 

EAC in developing its Voluntary Voting System Guidelines. It is composed 

of 15 members, selected for their technical and subject matter expertise. 

The EAC formed a new Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) board 

in 2021, the Local Leadership Council (LLC), to provide direct feedback 

from local election officials on emerging and pressing issues in election 

administration. Consisting of 100 local election officials and leaders of 

local election official organizations, the LLC conducted its first meeting 

in December 2021 and will meet regularly to advise the EAC on topics of 

critical importance to local election officials as they administer elections.

AGENCY STRUCTURE

4

COMMISSIONERS

4

FEDERAL ADVISORY 

COMMITTEES

43

FULL-TIME STAFF 

MEMBERS

STRATEGIC PLAN 7
ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT

STANDARDS 

BOARD

BOARD OF 

ADVISORS

TECHNICAL 

GUIDELINES 

DEVELOPMENT 

COMMITTEE

LOCAL 

LEADERSHIP 

COUNCIL

As a result of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the EAC 

is limited in options for obtaining timely and formal 

quantitative and qualitative feedback from stakeholders 

on agency resources and programming. Despite that 

limitation, the EAC works to utilize the four advisory 

boards with members representing various stakeholder 

groups to continually assess the work and impact of 

the agency.

The EAC will continue to utilize the expertise of the 

boards to garner feedback on EAC products, goals, 

and plans. The agency will also continue to seek an 

exemption from the requirements of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act (PRA) to allow it to regularly obtain 

timely information directly from stakeholders. In the 

absence of an exemption, the EAC will also utilize 

new tools and processes to evaluate the agency and its 

performance as outlined in this plan. 

The EAC serves in a customer service role for both 

election officials and the public. The EAC receives 

thousands of calls and emails from the public each year. 

Staff work to assist members of the public and direct 

them to the best information possible. 

The EAC analyzes the types of inquiries received and 

uses that data to help shape its goals and objectives. By 

understanding the needs of election officials and the 

public, the EAC is best able to serve these important 

constituencies through its goals and programming.

Additionally, members of Congress, both on the EAC’s 

oversight committees and beyond, play a critical role 

in helping to shape the goals of the agency. Through 

regular correspondence, invitations to testify, and 

inquiries, Congress has interacted directly with EAC 

leadership on emerging areas of concern and areas for 

further research and programming. The EAC is grateful 

for the continued interest in its work and continually 

monitors Congressional concerns for incorporation 

within agency goals and programming.

These various methods help the agency evaluate goals 

on an annual basis as we strive to meet our mission and 

serve election officials and voters. The EAC is grateful 

for the feedback and engagement it receives and will 

continue to utilize it as appropriate.

8 U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
This organizational chart is currently operational but is pending a final vote by Commissioners.

EAC’S ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

STRATEGIC PLAN 9
PERFORMANCE 

MANAGEMENT

FRAMEWORK 

This strategic plan includes three goals designed to drive the agency 

toward achieving its mission. Within each strategic goal are agency 

strategies to guide decision making in furtherance of achieving goals 

and specific performance measures to evaluate success of 

EAC programs. 

EAC leadership is fully committed to the success of the agency including 

the execution of the EAC’s strategic plan. Leadership will ensure 

achievement of the strategic objectives by empowering EAC staff to 

utilize expertise within a culture of innovation to maximize impact of 

EAC programs. The Executive Director’s role is to make sure appropriate 

progress is made and the necessary resources are provided to ensure 

success throughout the agency. As necessary, the Executive Director 

will work with division directors to modify components of this plan to 

ensure the agency is consistently achieving its mission. 

10 U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
IMPLEMENTATION AND 

OPERATION OF THIS PLAN

The EAC will implement this plan through four stages: Planning, Executing, 

Reporting, and Evolving. First, the agency has taken a collaborative agency-wide 

approach to the drafting of this plan. Through integrating division directors in the 

drafting of goals and objectives, the EAC has worked to ensure maximum agencywide engagement with the strategic plan. As leaders within the agency, division 

directors will play an integral role in launching, tracking, and evolving these goals 

throughout the strategic plan period.

Second, the EAC will utilize the goals and objectives to drive EAC programs during 

the strategic plan period. If necessary, the EAC will build new programs, processes, 

procedures, and plans in order to achieve goals and objectives set forth in this 

document. Division directors will be expected to cite to EAC leadership specific 

elements of the strategic plan when developing new programming or operations 

during the strategic plan period.

Third, the agency provides an annual report to Congress each January detailing 

the agency’s work toward meeting its mission. These annual reports will provide an 

opportunity for the EAC to reflect upon progress to completion of strategic plan 

goals and objectives. The EAC will develop a procedure to evaluate all programs 

throughout their existence for adherence to strategic plan goals. Additionally, the 

management of work toward accomplishing the strategic goals will be a key factor in 

the annual evaluation of EAC senior staff including the Executive Director, General 

Counsel, and division directors. 

Finally, the agency will utilize the annual report and critical election concerns to 

evolve the goals of this plan when necessary to meet the moment. Due to the 

critical nature of the work of the EAC in the evolving landscape of American 

elections, the agency must remain agile in addressing the needs of stakeholders and 

the agency staff. Through a spirit of constant review and reflection, the EAC will 

ensure this strategic plan is a guiding document that evolves with the agency. 

PLANNING

EXECUTING

REPORTING

EVOLVING

STRATEGIC PLAN 11
CROSS AGENCY PRIORITY GOALS 

Per the GPRA Modernization Act, the EAC must 

address cross agency priority goals in the agency 

strategic plan. The current Presidential Management 

Agenda lays out three strategic goals: 

Strengthening and empowering the 

Federal workforce 

Delivering excellent, equitable, and secure 

Federal services and customer experience 

Managing the business of Government 

to Build Back Better 

Strengthening and Empowering the Federal Workforce 

The EAC strategic plan directly furthers cross agency 

priority goals regarding strengthening and empowering 

the Federal workforce. Through the addition of staff 

during the previous strategic plan period, the EAC has 

reached a point of capacity that will allow the agency 

to evolve operations to best serve the workforce. 

As outlined in Strategic Goal 3, the EAC will work 

during the plan period to continue to build a skilled 

and diverse workforce. Through building internal tools 

and structures, EAC leadership will empower agency 

employees to understand and have a voice in agency 

operations. The EAC will strive to evolve its internal 

operations and processes to produce a model work 

environment, meeting the needs of our workforce both 

currently and in the future. 

1

3

2

12 U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
Delivering Excellent, Equitable, and Secure Federal 

Services and Customer Experience 

The EAC has numerous stakeholders including the 

American public. As the only federal agency focused 

solely on election administration, the EAC plays 

an integral role in providing critical information 

for Americans regarding the voting process both 

as a provider of direct election support and as a 

clearinghouse of election administration informational 

products for election officials as reflected in Strategic 

Goal 2. The EAC will also continue to partner with 

other agencies, including the General Services 

Administration (GSA) on public-facing products and 

services including Vote.gov to ensure the American 

public is provided with accurate, timely, and easy-toaccess elections information. The EAC will endeavor in 

the next five years to continue to evolve the design and 

functionality of the EAC’s website, eac.gov, to deliver 

excellent and secure customer service. 

The EAC has recently expanded the resources offered 

to serve Americans in the election process. The agency 

has expanded the translation of materials available on 

the EAC website into 21 languages. These resources 

include the National Mail Voter Registration Form, the 

Glossary of Election Terminology, and the Executive 

Summary of the Election Administration and Voting 

Survey (EAVS) report. These documents allow 

language minority voters to access voter registration, 

understand common terminology used in elections or 

on their ballots, and learn about election administration 

across the country. The EAC will continue to consider 

additional translations of these materials or additional 

materials as appropriate to serve America’s 

diverse population. 

Managing the business of Government 

to Build Back Better 

In furtherance of the goal to “Build Back Better,” 

the EAC will focus on agency growth to build 

additional capacity, sustainable solutions for grants 

management, and expanded cybersecurity programs 

to secure the EAC’s systems. Through a focus on 

building capacity within the agency, the EAC will 

foster lasting improvements to the American electoral 

system through providing additional support to 

election officials and creating additional guidance on 

elections technologies to further secure our elections. 

Strategic Goals 1, 2, and 3 speak specifically to 

building a strong electoral system and a strengthened 

EAC with Strategic Goal 1 speaking to cybersecurity 

improvements. 

At the time of this writing, the EAC was in the process 

of implementing new grants management software. 

This software will enhance how the agency manages 

grants, streamlining the reporting process across grant 

categories directly addressing the Administration’s 

desired goal during the strategic goal period. The 

agency is also adequately prepared for the G-Invoice 

transition mandate in FY 2023, streamlining the EAC’s 

official coordination with other federal agencies. 

STRATEGIC PLAN 13
14 U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

For the years 2022 to 2026, the EAC has three strategic goals and 10 strategic objectives. 

Strategic Goal 1: Strengthen American elections through the development and implementation 

of responsive and dynamic voting system guidelines and cyber resources for election officials. 

OBJECTIVE

OBJECTIVE 

OBJECTIVE 

1.1

1.2

1.3

Continue to evolve the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines and related policies to provide 

responsive guidelines and requirements for voting systems. 

Develop programs under the Help America Vote Act to bolster the security and accessibility 

standards of other election technology.

Leverage and expand upon the EAC’s existing technical expertise to provide timely resources 

to increase the security posture of critical infrastructure (voting systems, e-poll books, 

and other areas of election administration, etc.).

Strategic Goal 2: Encourage improvements to election administration through the development 

and distribution of resources that assist election officials in modernizing American elections. 

OBJECTIVE

OBJECTIVE 

OBJECTIVE 

2.1

2.2

2.3

Serve as a clearinghouse of election best practices by continually creating resources that help 

election officials improve the administration of elections and help voters participate in elections. 

Increase confidence in America’s elections and transform the common understanding of 

election administration through commissioning innovative research. 

Effectively and efficiently distribute federal resources to EAC stakeholders.

Strategic Goal 3: Create operational excellence throughout agency management and programming.

OBJECTIVE

OBJECTIVE 

OBJECTIVE 

OBJECTIVE 

Increase customer service to key stakeholders and partners.

Update internal structures and policies to optimize performance. 

Develop and continue to manage internal structures and tools that produce a culture 

of innovation and a driven workforce. 

Continue to build a skilled, diverse, and effective workforce. 

3.1

3.2

3.3

3.4

STRATEGIC PLAN 15
GOAL 1

Strengthen American elections through the development 

and implementation of responsive and dynamic voting 

system guidelines, security, and cyber resources for 

election officials.

1.1 1.2 1.3

GOAL OVERVIEW

A key component of American elections is the decentralized nature of election administration 

throughout the country. While this decentralization is an important factor in ensuring the security 

of elections, it can also lead to confusion about the security of America’s voting systems and other 

election technology. The EAC plays a key role in bringing technological gains in security and other 

factors to voters through the oversight of voting system guidelines and providing cybersecurity 

resources to election officials. 

As the only agency focused solely on election administration, the EAC is uniquely qualified to lead on 

providing resources to election officials while educating the American public about the resilience of 

our systems. The EAC helps to safeguard the integrity of our voting systems through the Voluntary 

Voting System Guidelines and cybersecurity resources developed to serve election officials. This work 

will expand and the EAC will utilize agency expertise to develop additional guidance to bolster the 

security of other election technologies in the coming years. 

16 U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
OVERVIEW

The EAC works to ensure responsive and dynamic voting system guidelines through the development, passage, and 

implementation of the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines, known as the VVSG. The VVSG are the only national 

set of uniform specifications and requirements against which voting systems can be tested to determine if the voting 

system meets required standards. Some factors under these tests include basic functionality, accessibility, accuracy, 

reliability, and security capabilities.

In February 2021, the EAC’s Commissioners unanimously passed the VVSG 2.0. These standards represent the 

first major revision of the standards in over 15 years. The VVSG 2.0 standards significantly improve voting system 

standards in comparison to the VVSG 1.0 version that manufacturers are currently using to test and certify voting 

machines. In the next five years, the EAC will adopt a more frequent update cycle for the VVSG and will implement 

the VVSG Lifecycle Policy detailing this process.

STRATEGIES

• Finalize the VVSG Lifecycle Policy to ensure a clearly defined path for regular updates is communicated to all 

stakeholders.

• Provide yearly VVSG update recommendations to the Executive Director after review by the EAC’s advisory 

boards and other stakeholders.

• Make regular updates to the Testing and Certification Program manuals to reflect a rapidly evolving environment.

• Accredit voting system testing laboratories (VSTLS) for future VVSG 2.0 voting systems.

• Encourage participation by manufacturers in pilot programs such as the component testing pilot program.

• Encourage anomaly reporting to the testing and certification division to resolve potential issues in a timely 

manner.

• Encourage manufacturers to certify their equipment to the updated standards.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

• VVSG is reviewed yearly for potential updates.

• Certification of a VVSG 2.0 compliant system.

Continue to evolve the Voluntary Voting System 

Guidelines and related policies to provide responsive 

guidelines and requirements for voting systems. 1.1

STRATEGIC PLAN 17
OVERVIEW

The EAC recognizes that technologies outside of the scope of voting systems are being rapidly adopted by 

jurisdictions across the nation to modernize their elections, provide for improved auditability, and help better 

control costs. The EAC refers to this class of systems as election supporting technology and is working to develop 

programs to test and certify this equipment. Examples of election supporting technologies include e-poll books, 

as well as election night reporting, in-precinct ballot printing, and remote ballot delivery and marking devices. The 

EAC will develop guidelines supporting testing and certification, which will help standardize the level of security and 

accessibility provided by these devices and help relieve some of the burden states currently shoulder when creating 

their own guidelines.

STRATEGIES

• Develop pilot programs with security and accessibility requirements specific to each election supporting 

technology.

• Encourage Voting System Test Laboratory (VSTL) and manufacturer participation in each pilot.

• Utilize pilot findings to develop permanent testing and certification programs that can remain agile in a 

technological environment that is continually evolving.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

• Successfully conduct a pilot program for e-poll book testing and certification and use findings to create a 

permanent program.

• Conduct a pilot program for another election supporting technology and publish findings.

Develop programs under the Help America 

Vote Act to bolster the security and accessibility 

standards of other election technology. 1.2

18 U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
OVERVIEW

The EAC’s Cyber Access and Security (CAS) program was created in 2020 to provide cybersecurity training, best 

practices, and other resources to election administrators. In concert with the EAC’s Clearinghouse department, 

the CAS program continues to create, collect, and disseminate this critical security information and update existing 

materials to reflect current and emerging threats to our critical election infrastructure. The EAC plans to bolster its 

capabilities through the addition of personnel, technical resources, and outreach efforts.

STRATEGIES

• Create computer-based training resources for election administrators to learn fundamental cybersecurity skills 

critical to protecting their election infrastructure.

• Produce and update written guidance and checklists for election administrators to reference when securing their 

systems or creating their own custom training.

• Coordinate with stakeholders on the best use of EAC resources for delivery of materials created 

by other organizations.

• Coordinate with stakeholders on messaging and priorities around various election events.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

• Creation of an online training delivery system with courses focused on election cybersecurity fundamentals.

• Successful cybersecurity defense of 2022 midterm and 2024 presidential elections.

Leverage and expand upon the EAC’s existing technical 

expertise to provide timely resources to increase the security 

posture of critical infrastructure (voting systems, e-poll 

books, and other areas of election administration, etc.). 

1.3

STRATEGIC PLAN 19
GOAL 2

Encourage improvements to election administration through 

the development and distribution of resources that assist 

election officials in modernizing American elections.

GOAL OVERVIEW

Elections are run by thousands of election officials across the country. This decentralized system 

allows election officials to serve as experts within their jurisdiction and state but has traditionally 

created a lack of uniform, nationwide election administration practices. To address this challenge, 

the EAC was tasked by the Help America Vote Act to serve as a clearinghouse of information on 

election administration. Through the collection and development of best practices, conducting 

innovative research into emerging topics in elections, and distributing resources and funding to the 

states, the EAC serves a critical role in helping to advance election administration. 

The rapidly changing landscape of elections has only served to increase the importance of a 

coordinated effort to collect, develop, and distribute resources to allow election officials to effectively 

and efficiently respond. During the next five years, the EAC will build upon successful historic 

programming initiatives in the clearinghouse, research, and grants divisions to provide election 

officials the information and grant funding (if appropriated) that is required to strengthen elections 

conducted between 2022 and 2026 and beyond. 

2.1 2.2 2.3

20 U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
OVERVIEW

The EAC is charged by HAVA to be a clearinghouse of information on election administration. To align with this 

charge, the EAC established a Clearinghouse department consisting of Subject Matter Experts including former 

election officials and experts on election law, accessibility, language access, design, and more. The Clearinghouse 

team works with EAC staff to create new, timely, and in-depth resources for election officials on various pressing 

issues ranging from audits to redistricting. The expertise of the Clearinghouse staff will be used to supplement 

expertise from other departments such as research, communications, and grants, as the EAC develops materials, 

FAQs, trainings, and other resources to raise awareness of best practices and share ideas to improve 

election administration.

As a trusted source of election information, the EAC’s website is a critical resource for voters as they look for 

information on voter registration, casting a ballot, and other parts of the electoral process. Since elections are 

managed at the state and local level, the EAC includes and updates links to information from these offices on voter 

registration, options to cast a ballot, local election directories, contact information and more. In the next five years, 

the EAC will redesign and further develop the EAC’s website to best serve election officials and the public. 

The EAC has traditionally relied upon public meetings and the EAC’s website to gather and distribute best practices. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the EAC adjusted programming and created new avenues for collaboration and 

discussion with key stakeholders. By utilizing existing and emerging technology, in the next five years, the EAC will 

work to expand and innovate not only the guidance and materials provided to election officials but the ways in which 

these resources are provided. 

STRATEGIES

• Release an updated version of the Election Management Guidelines and Quick Start Guides to assist state and 

local election officials in effectively managing and administering elections. 

• Assist in the training of new election officials by producing an Overview and Orientation for New Election 

Officials document that provides new election officials with comparative data and an overview of best practices 

for the administration of successful elections. Beyond EAVS data, this guide will include key definitions, best 

practices, and federal resources for election officials.

• Create a portal for election administrators that would allow collaboration, sharing of knowledge, materials and 

best practices. This portal will inform election administrators of training events, important election dates, and 

notify them of critical election security information. As election administrators join this portal, a directory of 

election officials will organically form. 

Serve as a clearinghouse of election best practices by 

continually creating resources that help election officials 

improve the administration of elections and help voters 

participate in elections.

2.1

STRATEGIC PLAN 21
• Develop feedback mechanisms through the EAC advisory boards to expand and improve resources and 

programming.

• Expand and improve the EAC newsletter to communicate directly with election officials and other subscribers 

including establishing rapid response communications as appropriate. 

• Use analytics for social media platforms to gauge reach of posts and growth of followers.

• Improve the organization and design of the EAC website to make it easier for the public to find information on 

the voting process and other information concerning elections.

• Improve the organization and design of the website to make it easier for election officials to find updated 

information, training, and reports so they can apply that to the management of elections in their community.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

• Election administrators from every state are using the portal, accessing the reporting options, connecting with 

other election administrators, and are more informed about training, events, and important election dates. 

• EAC produces resources addressing the top three concerns of members of the advisory boards each year as 

identified at their annual meetings.

• Steady quarterly growth on engagement metrics for newsletters including open rates and clickthrough rates.

• Add more election officials and election office staff to the newsletter distribution list.

• Increase the reach and use of pages that are targeted to voters and election officials as measured by 

website analytics. 

Serve as a clearinghouse of election best practices by 

continually creating resources that help election officials 

improve the administration of elections and help voters 

participate in elections.

2.1

22 U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
OVERVIEW

When the EAC was created, it inherited the long-standing duty of analyzing American election administration in 

order to facilitate the federal government’s efforts to both help election officials better administer elections and 

help voters participate in elections. This is no small task. America does not have one singular election administration 

system. Instead, it has thousands of semi-autonomous, independently acting election jurisdictions, each with its own 

processes and procedures. To understand American election administration, one must understand the thousands of 

moving components, including the many items measured and tracked by the EAC. 

Today, the EAC’s analysis produces a number of different research products. Most notable is the Election 

Administration & Voting Survey (EAVS). The EAC’s EAVS is the most comprehensive survey of American election 

administration information, data, and practices in the country. The EAC publishes a new survey every two years 

following federal general elections. It contains more than one million data points, and it provides a national insight 

into how American elections are administered. In the next five years, the EAC will continue to increase the value 

the agency and its stakeholders receive from the EAVS by making the data more accessible and easier to use while 

evaluating the methods of collection and analysis of the data to ensure the survey is most effectively managed.

In addition to EAVS, the EAC regularly commissions timely research into critical election administration questions 

concerning voters with disabilities. Through regular surveys regarding the hurdles voters with disabilities face 

nationally, the EAC is able to provide valuable insight and recommendations to state and local election officials 

as they work to serve voters with disabilities. The EAC plans to continue this research and utilize innovative study 

techniques, as outlined below, to further the understanding of the experiences of voters with disabilities in order to 

ensure their right to an independent and private ballot.

The EAC also recognizes the need to engage others in studying election administration. The EAC will work with 

outside researchers to ensure their work contributes to and expands both the federal government’s and the election 

administration community’s understanding of how elections are administered. In the past, the EAC has worked 

alongside public and private researchers to produce research and tools for election officials. In today’s time of 

expanded access to data and data processing power, the EAC will engage and partner with others to help the nation 

better understand its own elections. The EAC is committed to utilizing the best research tools available and will 

partner with outside entities that allow the EAC to utilize cutting edge research instruments including simulated 

learning to learn about elections and train election officials. 

The agency will also use the EAC’s research to inform its strategic planning and to produce innovative products for 

election officials and voters. The EAVS was first administered in 2004 and has been conducted every two years 

since. Each time the EAVS is completed, the agency gains more complete and accurate data, which allows it to track 

trends over a growing period of time and provide more insights into election administration.

Increase confidence in America’s elections and transform 

the common understanding of election administration 

through commissioning innovative research. 2.2

STRATEGIC PLAN 23
STRATEGIES

• Continually evaluate the EAVS survey instrument for potential improvements so states and localities have an 

easier time submitting accurate and reliable data. 

• Strengthen relationships with external users (scholars, other federal agencies, etc.) of EAVS, solicit their 

feedback on how to make the survey better. 

• Prioritize creating products tracking trends over time. 

• Produce simulated learning exercises to create and utilize data to train election officials on best practices. 

• Continue to produce survey research into difficulties faced by voters with disabilities and the release of targeted 

recommendations and best practices based on findings. 

• Reorganize and reimagine the presentation of research results on the EAC’s website to ensure the data are easy 

to understand and utilize for further research projects.

• Establish an internal system for collaboration between divisions utilizing EAC research findings on EAC intranet.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

• Create working groups for Sections B-F that will help modernize the questions in those sections, similar to the 

Section A working group. 

• Measured decrease in difficulties for voters with disabilities in surveys following federal elections. 

• Utilization of simulated learning exercises by election officials in a majority of states. 

Increase confidence in America’s elections and transform 

the common understanding of election administration 

through commissioning innovative research. 2.2

24 U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
Effectively and efficiently distribute federal resources 2.3 to EAC stakeholders.

OVERVIEW

A key function of the EAC’s mission is the administration and management of grants federal funds that help 

election officials procure modern election systems and improve the administration of federal elections. The agency 

issues grant awards, provides guidance on the appropriate use of funds, oversees, and tracks grant activities, provides 

technical assistance, monitors expenses, prepares financial reports for Congress, resolves audits conducted by the 

OIG (Office of the Inspector General), and closes out grants when all revenue is expended. The EAC Office of 

Grants Management (Grants Office) supports the agency’s mission by overseeing this critical work.

The EAC seeks to provide excellence in service for all stakeholders, internal and external in its administration of 

financial assistance programs under HAVA and other discretionary funding if provided. The past few years have 

proven that the agency can meet objectives in a resource limited environment. The agency strives to improve 

its processes while considering the impact on EAC stakeholders, with an eye to facilitating smoother delivery of 

content, reduction in burden, and increasing efficiencies wherever possible.

One of the primary steps to achieving the vision of the agency is core federal staff recruitment, development, 

and retention. In 2020, the EAC began this process and will continue to build on this in the next stage of growth. 

What was for many years a program only, the Grants Office is now a standalone department with three federal 

positions and one full-time contractor. This commitment by the agency in a mission-critical area has resulted in 

significant gains in the past two years – namely successfully awarding and administering $825 million in new funding, 

developing standardized reporting, report reviews, training, responsive communication with stakeholders including 

Congress, and improved capacity in the grant recipient community through sustained technical assistance provided 

via webinars, written guidance, frequently asked questions, and more.

The next phase of development for the agency will incorporate the grant recipient community around performance 

measurement of HAVA funding. The EAC must measure grantee performance to show achievement of program 

goals and objectives, share lessons learned, improve program outcomes, and foster adoption of promising practices 

per CFR200.301. 

In addition, engaging stakeholders in a dialogue to establish performance measures for HAVA funds, the EAC 

will also develop a risk assessment to strengthen our position as good stewards of federal funds and evaluate the 

HAVA grants on an annual basis to identify those recipients who are deemed high risk for additional oversight and 

monitoring, as well as technical assistance. 

One of the crucial modernization efforts the EAC kicked off in September 2021, is the partnership with the 

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to assess and fit the EAC grants process to their GrantSolutions 

end-to-end grant administration services. This process will move forward for onboarding in FY 2022 and fully 

function in FY 2023 and beyond. 

STRATEGIC PLAN 25
STRATEGIES

• Award and administer grants.

• Maintain current and relevant grant and reporting information on the EAC website. 

• Provide technical assistance and guidance on the management of federal financial assistance administered by 

EAC to reduce the risk of inappropriate use of funds and accounting errors. 

• Onboard GrantSolutions end-to-end services for grants administration of the EAC’s current and future grants.

• Initiate national stakeholder engagement to develop performance measures for HAVA grants.

• Implement performance measure reporting and tracking for impact assessment of HAVA grants.

• Strengthen data collection efforts and utilize such data to analyze the efficacy and impact of grant programs.

• Develop risk assessment for grant oversight and monitoring priorities.

• Conduct site visits of recipients for whom the EAC assesses to be high risk or has found significant problems in 

grant reports and/or in audit reports. 

• Utilize regular performance and program reviews to create and maintain a culture of continuous improvement. 

• Provide support and oversight during audit resolution for any findings identified by the OIG.

• Improve communication and sustain outreach with grant recipients, Congress, Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB), Government Accountability Office (GAO), and other stakeholders to be responsive to valid 

inquiries about its programs and operations.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

• All federal financial assistance administered by the EAC is accurately and timely disbursed. 

• All audit findings are resolved within established timeframes.

• All expired grants are closed in a timely manner, with no grants expired for more than two years.

• Report annually to Congress on the expenditure of HAVA funds each year.

• Technical assistance and training to recipients to increase grant compliance is provided at least twice a year.

• Report complete, accurate, and timely financial assistance data as required by the DATA Act. 

• Progress and financial reporting by grant recipients is reviewed with initial review provided within 45 

days of submission.

• Grant staff attend professional development and education to obtain their certification and/or keep up with 

changing federal guidance.

26 U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
GOAL 3

Create operational excellence throughout agency 

management and programming. 

GOAL OVERVIEW

Through Strategic Goal 3, the agency reaffirms its dedication to being good stewards of public funds, 

contributing positively to the federal government, and continuing to build and operate an agency 

that is diverse and impactful. The agency has been historically underfunded. In recent years the 

agency has received incremental funding allowing for the improvement of its operational structure. 

During the next five years, the EAC aims to build upon the success of previous strategic plans and 

create operational excellence by increasing customer service to key stakeholders, updating internal 

structures and policies to optimize performance, maximizing minimal resources, and building a skilled, 

diverse, and effective workforce. 

3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4

STRATEGIC PLAN 27
OVERVIEW

A key component of the success of the EAC is meeting the needs of stakeholders including election officials at the 

state and local level and the American public. 

In the next five years, the EAC will build necessary feedback and tracking mechanisms to allow the agency to 

increase customer service to election officials and the American public. Through utilizing social media tools, 

discussions with EAC FACA boards, website metrics, and real-time tracking of trends in public requests and 

inquiries to the agency, the EAC’s customer service to stakeholders will reach new levels of success. 

The nature of the EAC’s work and its congressional mandates often require the agency to work with other federal 

agencies. The EAC regularly works in collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology 

(NIST), the General Services Administration (GSA), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to 

achieve the Agency’s mission. As elections and the threats that they face have evolved, the agency has deepened 

its collaboration with partners including the Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), 

and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to protect critical infrastructure and serve 

stakeholders facing increasing and escalating threats to safety. The EAC previously helped DHS establish a core 

component of its critical infrastructure operations, the Elections Subsector Government Coordinating Council 

(GCC) and co-chairs the GCC. As the EAC looks to the next five years, it will work to deepen these partnerships 

to best serve the agency’s stakeholders and achieve its mission.

In 2019, the EAC established a working relationship with GSA to increase information, improve functionality, and 

ensure the accuracy of voter registration information on the website Vote.gov. The EAC has formally extended 

this partnership agreement with GSA through 2024 and EAC staff will continue to serve as subject matter experts 

and assist as GSA continues the development of Vote.gov including translations of materials on the site. Vote.gov 

is a simple URL that is easy to remember and use to direct the public to the site. Continually improving Vote.gov 

will assist election officials as they work to serve voters and provide accurate information for Americans looking for 

voter registration information for their state.

3.1 Increase customer service to key stakeholders and partners. 

28 U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
STRATEGIES

• Obtain feedback from FACA boards on existing resources and desired work products for election officials at 

each board meeting.

• Build a real-time tracking system to record and evaluate requests from the public to the EAC through phone 

calls, emails, or web inquiries.

• Conduct regular meetings with key stakeholders including election officials and their membership organizations, 

and federal partners including NIST, GSA, and CISA. 

• Regularly monitor and evaluate the EAC website and social media accounts to ensure that statistics are utilized, 

and that metrics are established to inform decisions that are required to enhance the usability, functionality, and 

accessibility of the platforms. 

• Develop rating system on EAC website for all resources to measure usability and usefulness.

• Collaborate across the federal government (GSA, BFS, OPM, NARA, OMB, GPO, GAO) by building 

frequent, targeted, and transparent communication for seamless services and improved customer satisfaction.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

• Increase of web traffic to EAC website as measured by unique visitors in each quarter of federal election years.

• Increase engagement with EAC social media profiles each year by election officials as measured by follower or 

subscriber counts and reach of posts, including retweets and shares. 

• Increase downloading of election resources from EAC website.

• Generation of new opportunities for inter-agency programs that add value or create efficiencies. 

• Connect EAC information technology system threat detection capabilities to the CISA Federal Continuous 

Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) Dashboard.

• Additional Inter-Agency Agreement requests for joint work by federal partners including a requested extension 

of existing IAA with GSA for Vote.gov.

3.1 Increase customer service to key stakeholders and partners. 

STRATEGIC PLAN 29
OVERVIEW

The EAC spent the first years of its existence establishing itself as a critical agency for the service of American 

elections and those that run them. The next period of EAC operations will allow the agency to develop a stronger 

position as a growing and dynamic federal agency. In the next five years, the EAC will update internal structures 

and policies to optimize agency performance. 

A key component of agency performance is compliance with all federal regulations. As a boutique federal agency, 

the EAC lacks dedicated divisions present at larger agencies to focus on various compliance requirements. The EAC 

has utilized existing staff to maintain a steady level of compliance and will focus in the next five years on agency 

growth and the development of procedures to streamline the compliance process, thereby allowing limited agency 

resources to be used to maximum capacity.

Additionally, the EAC has several stakeholders it works closely with in the areas of financial, facility, and human 

resource administration. They include the Department of Treasury’s Bureau of Fiscal Service (BFS), the White 

House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and the GSA. 

The EAC works closely with OMB on all matters of budget formulation and congressional reports mandated 

through appropriations, while also working with BFS to ensure accurate financial reporting and compliance with 

such reporting requirements. Human Resource coordination and compliance with OMB and OPM focus not only 

on recruitment and hiring, but also compliance with executive orders in areas such as equity and staff development. 

The EAC continues to pride itself on its strong communication with federal stakeholders and its high level of 

involvement and contribution to a range of programmatic and administrative issues in the federal government. 

In the next five years, the EAC will build or strengthen internal structures to ensure active collaboration and 

compliance with federal partners in these critical operational areas.

The EAC submits reports for federal compliance and transparency throughout the year. Even though these reports 

are required, they offer data and metrics for HR, IT security, ethics, and responsible budget management that help 

the EAC assess the effectiveness of internal policies and procedures. This reporting will continue over the next five 

years and the EAC will use them to gauge and improve agency operations.

Update internal structures and policies 3.2 to optimize performance.

30 U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
STRATEGIES

• Update all EAC policies to serve employees while ensuring compliance with federal laws.

• Establish internal process to review policies annually for required updates.

• Develop a tool to provide updated policies and procedures to employees as they are reviewed or updated.

• Lead change by initiating and maintaining ongoing partnerships with EAC divisions and federal agencies to share 

technical expertise, data, and other resources for problem-solving and strategic planning.

• Provide regular training to ensure all administrative staff are in compliance with federal regulations and 

procedures governing contracting, travel, human resources, records management, and facilities management.

• Modernize information technology systems to meet new Zero Trust Architecture and other cybersecurity 

guidance as specified by the President and OMB.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

• All EAC policies and procedures are updated and reviewed on a yearly basis.

• Membership is obtained in the Small Agency Council for Administration, Human Resources (Training, EEO 

Diversity & Inclusion), Procurement, Finance, and CIO managers. 

• All Congressional reporting deadlines are met. 

• Standard operating procedures for all administrative functions are complete and aligned with the newly revised 

Administrative Manual.

• New records management processes are implemented, and staff is trained.

• Submit all required federal reporting by deadlines.

Update internal structures and policies 3.2 to optimize performance.

STRATEGIC PLAN 31
OVERVIEW

As a young agency, the EAC has remained nimble in both structure and processes to best serve stakeholders during 

periods of limited funding or lack of leadership. While this agility has allowed the agency to be built, the next phase 

of the EAC includes the development and installation of internal tools and structures that allow EAC staff to 

maximize performance. In the next five years, the EAC will maximize the use of its budget by developing tools for 

collaboration within the agency that allow for innovation and dynamic partnerships. 

As elections evolve, the EAC’s support and resources must rapidly change. In order to produce a culture of 

innovation, the EAC must provide the tools, training, support, and mechanisms for collaboration and innovation in 

programming. Through the development of an EAC intranet, the agency will build the necessary systems to allow 

constant collaboration, training, and development of resources throughout the agency. This system will allow the 

agency to maximize employee performance and skills, allowing the agency to maximize the impact of all 

available resources. 

The EAC is entrusted to manage its resources ethically, strategically, and sustainably by obtaining maximum value 

to the benefit of the agency. The Administration Division will improve and reengineer its processes to ensure it fully 

delivers results as the EAC continues to build a culture that uses enterprise risk management and successfully plans 

for future events. The EAC will contribute to effective federal-wide resource management by optimizing its real 

estate, improving space utilization, and ensuring physical security. Significant progress has been made during the 

build-out of the EAC’s new office space in Washington, DC. 

Through core administrative functions, contract management and oversight, purchasing, records management, 

event support and travel, special projects, and customer service, the agency will improve service delivery to its 

internal customers to ensure a high-performing organization

Develop and continue to manage internal structures and tools 3.3 that produce a culture of innovation and a driven workforce.

32 U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
STRATEGIES

• Capitalize on technology to improve services, streamline processes, and promote efficiency.

• Build and deploy an EAC intranet site that allows for collaboration, communication, and training among EAC staff.

• Gather regular employee feedback and suggestions through the employee engagement committee.

• Utilize the election official portal to provide rapid updates to stakeholders.

• Review and re-envision the Administration Division and services to assure they meet customer needs.

• Increase footprint of new office space.

• Create a customer service survey to capture customer satisfaction after service delivery.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

• Ticketing System in place to track requests for each administrative function (contract management, human 

resources, records management, travel management, and space & facilities management).

• EAC intranet site utilized by all agency employees to access key resources. 

• Increased use of intranet for collaboration with each division reporting at least one collaborative effort resulting 

from intranet use. 

• Establishment of administrative succession plan with cross-training of staff on administration support functions to 

ensure continuity.

• Following the return to in-person operations, the EAC saves resources by utilizing larger office space for in-house 

meetings and summit events for at least two events per year that would otherwise require external venue costs. 

Develop and continue to manage internal structures and tools 3.3 that produce a culture of innovation and a driven workforce.

STRATEGIC PLAN 33
OVERVIEW

The EAC recognizes employees are critical to achieving its mission and for that reason, the agency strives to 

attract, develop, and retain a highly skilled, diverse, and results-oriented workforce. Investment in its workforce is a 

top priority for EAC. An engaged, high-performing workforce is vital to meet organizational goals and prepare for 

the future.

As the agency has grown, the EAC has added employees with diverse knowledge and skillsets to best fulfill the 

agency’s mission. Building upon the 2018 strategic plan, Goal 3.4 seeks to optimize the EAC’s human capital 

resources to advance the agency’s mission and help drive the activities needed to ensure that the EAC addresses 

existing and future challenges with the right people and the right skills. Proper use of employee skills will best serve 

the EAC and its stakeholders and that is why continual improvement to promote organization efficiency throughout 

the agency is a top priority. The EAC will recruit, reward, and develop the most talented individuals with the skills 

and passion to fulfill its mission. At the same time, the agency will challenge and support its employees, ensuring 

they are fully prepared for the demanding work of supporting election officials at a boutique federal agency. The 

EAC will seek out and develop strong leaders who, in addition to being experts in their field, bring out the best in 

others and model integrity, respect, accountability, and trust.

STRATEGIES

• Continually review and reevaluate human capital strategy.

• Hire human resources specialists to serve and support EAC staff.

• Align human capital management policies, programs, processes, and systems to support accomplishment of 

EAC mission, vision, goals, and priorities.

• Ensure the EAC leadership has technical and managerial skills necessary to lead a diverse workforce, 

accomplish the EAC's strategic goals and priorities, and to promote knowledge-sharing, continuous learning 

and improvement, and a climate of open communications. 

• Recruit, hire, develop, and retain a diverse workforce with the competencies necessary to accomplish the 

agency mission.

• Create a responsive, high-performance culture through rewarding and promoting high-performing employees 

and promptly addressing poor performance.

3.4 Continue to build a skilled, diverse, and effective workforce.

34 U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
• Ensure compliance with Merit System Principles and other human capital related regulatory and legal 

requirements.

• Improve workforce planning by integrating succession management activities into efforts to retain employees and 

manage knowledge transfer within specific mission-critical positions.

• Provide professional development and credentialing to mission-critical positions. 

• Actively engage in cross-office training to ensure all EAC staff, regardless of division, have a basic understanding 

of finance, internal controls, and ethics.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

• Recurring human capital planning is aligned with the agency’s strategic and operational plans.

• Quarterly reviews find HR policies and practices are followed throughout the EAC to minimize financial and 

reputational risk.

• EAC competency models, developed by engaging key stakeholders across the agency to identify mission-critical 

requirements and gaps, are created and published on the intranet.

• Competencies are incorporated into vacancy announcements, assessments, IDPs, and structured interviews.

• A hiring and selection toolkit for hiring managers is developed and implemented.

• Applicant flow data validates targeted recruitment efforts.

• Employee orientation video is updated to help new employees understand how to be successful in their day-today job and how their work contributes to the agency’s mission.

• A learning and development framework is created in support of continuous learning, job-related development, 

and career growth through succession efforts, including the reinstatement of EAC’s Staff Associate Program to 

reinforce the strategy of “growing our own.”

• Training program is planned, budgeted, and implemented to address competency gaps.

• Performance appraisal system is reviewed annually to ensure all appraisals are linked to strategic objectives and 

annual performance goals.

• The EAC’s culture promotes a fair and unbiased environment, and values opportunity, inclusiveness, and 

accomplishments so employees are better able to understand the mission and determine where they fit.

• Annual Employee Survey (AES) results improve each year. 

STRATEGIC PLAN 35
CONTRIBUTING DIVISIONS 

As a boutique federal agency, the EAC works within the agency budget to maximize efficiency and fully express the 

agency’s mission. As a result, EAC divisions are highly collaborative with each other, contributing to EAC strategic 

objectives. The following charts EAC’s divisions and their contributions to the strategic goals and objectives: 

EAC CONTRIBUTING DIVISIONS 

Goal 1: Strengthen American elections through the development and implementation of responsive and dynamic 

voting system guidelines, security, and cyber resources for election officials. 

Objective 1.1 Objective 1.2 Objective 1.3 

Clearinghouse Yes Yes Yes 

Communications No No Yes 

Finance No No No

General Counsel Yes Yes Yes 

Grants No No No

Human Resources/ 

Administration No No No

OCIO Yes Yes Yes 

Research No No Yes 

Testing and Certification Yes Yes Yes 

36 U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
EAC CONTRIBUTING DIVISIONS 

Goal 2: Encourage improvements to election administration through the development and distribution of 

resources that assist election officials in modernizing American elections. 

Objective 2.1 Objective 2.2 Objective 2.3 

Clearinghouse Yes Yes Yes

Communications Yes Yes Yes

Finance No No Yes

General Counsel Yes Yes Yes

Grants Yes No Yes

Human Resources/ 

Administration No No No

OCIO Yes Yes No

Research Yes Yes No

Testing and Certification Yes Yes No

Goal 3: Create operational excellence throughout agency management and programming.

Objective 3.1 Objective 3.2 Objective 3.3 Objective 3.4 

Clearinghouse Yes Yes Yes No

Communications Yes Yes Yes No

Finance Yes Yes Yes No

General Counsel Yes Yes Yes Yes

Grants Yes Yes Yes No

Human Resources/ 

Administration Yes Yes Yes Yes

OCIO Yes Yes Yes No

Research Yes Yes Yes No

Testing and Certification Yes Yes Yes No

STRATEGIC PLAN 37
633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20001

1-866-747-1471 

WWW.EAC.GOV