50140 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 165 / Monday, August 25, 2008 / Notices 

ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION 

Information Collection Activity; 

Proposed Information Collection; 

Comment Request 

AGENCY: U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission (EAC). 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission has submitted the 

following information collection request 

(Voting System Test Laboratory 

Accreditation Program Manual) to the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) for review and clearance in 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995. The information 

collection was previously published in 

the Federal Register on February 2, 

2008, at 73 FR 6494. The notice allowed 

for a 60-day public comment period. No 

comments were received on this 

information collection; however, 

modifications were made to improve 

and clarify the information collection 

based on comments submitted to a 

request for substantive comments (73 FR 

6495) and internal review of the 

document. The purpose of this notice is 

to allow an additional 30 days for public 

comments. Comments are encouraged 

and will be accepted until September 

24, 2008. This process is conducted in 

accordance with 5 CFR 1320.10. 

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the proper performance 

of the functions of the agency, including 

whether the information shall have 

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

proposed information collection; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the information collection on 

respondents, including through the use 

of automated collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted on or before September 24, 

2008. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments and 

recommendations on the proposed 

information collection must be sent to: 

OMB Reviewer: Alexander T. Hunt, 

Office of Management and Budget, 

Room 10235, New Executive Office 

Building, Washington, DC 20503, (202) 

395–7316. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

request more information on this 

proposed information collection or to 

obtain a copy of the EAC’s Voting 

System Test Laboratory Accreditation 

Program Manual, please contact Ms. 

Laiza N. Otero at (202) 566–2209 or via 

e-mail at lotero@eac.gov. You may also 

view the proposed collection instrument 

by visiting the EAC’s Web site at http:// 

www.eac.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Voting System Test Laboratory 

Accreditation Program Manual. 

OMB Number: Pending. 

Type of Review: Regular submission. 

Needs and Uses: Section 231(b) of the 

Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 

(42 U.S.C. § 15371(b)) requires that the 

EAC provide for the accreditation and 

revocation of accreditation of 

independent, non-federal laboratories 

qualified to test voting systems to 

Federal standards. Generally, the EAC 

considers for accreditation those 

laboratories evaluated and 

recommended by the National Institute 

of Standards and Technology (NIST) 

pursuant to HAVA Section 231(b)(1). 

However, consistent with HAVA 

Section 231(b)(2)(B), the Commission 

may also vote to accredit laboratories 

outside of those recommended by NIST 

upon publication of an explanation of 

the reason for any such accreditation. In 

order to meet its statutory requirements 

under HAVA § 15371(b), the EAC has 

developed the EAC’s Voting System 

Test Laboratory Accreditation Program. 

The procedural requirements of the 

program are established in the proposed 

information collection, the EAC Voting 

System Test Laboratory Accreditation 

Program Manual. Although 

participation in the program is 

voluntary, adherence to the program’s 

procedural requirements is mandatory 

for participants. The procedural 

requirements of this Manual will 

supersede any prior laboratory 

accreditation requirements issued by the 

EAC. This manual shall be read in 

conjunction with the EAC’s Voting 

System Testing and Certification 

Program Manual (OMB 3265–0004). 

Affected Public: Voting system test 

laboratories. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 8. 

Total Annual Responses: 8. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 200 hours. 

Thomas R. Wilkey, 

Executive Director, U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission. 

[FR Doc. E8–19066 Filed 8–22–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6820–KF–P 

ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION 

Procedural Manual for the Election 

Assistance Commission’s Voting 

System Test Laboratory Program 

AGENCY: United States Election 

Assistance Commission (EAC). 

ACTION: Notice; Publication of Voting 

System Test Laboratory Program 

Manual. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission (EAC) is publishing a 

procedural manual for its Voting System 

Test Laboratory Program. This program 

sets the administrative procedures for 

laboratories to obtain and maintain 

accreditation to test voting systems 

under the EAC’s Voluntary Testing and 

Certification Program. The program is 

mandated by the Help America Vote Act 

(HAVA) at 42 U.S.C. 15371. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Brian Hancock, Director, Voting System 

Certification, Washington, DC, (202) 

566–3100, Fax: (202) 566–1392. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

HAVA requires that the EAC certify 

and decertify voting systems through 

testing conducted by accredited 

laboratories. Section 231(a)(1) of HAVA 

(42 U.S.C. 15371) specifically requires 

the EAC to ‘‘* * * provide for the 

testing, certification, decertification and 

recertification of voting system 

hardware and software by accredited 

laboratories.’’ To meet this obligation, 

the EAC has created a voluntary 

program to test voting systems to 

Federal voting system standards by 

accredited laboratories. The Voting 

System Test Laboratory Program Manual 

sets the procedures for the test 

laboratories to follow in order to receive 

and maintain accreditation as well as 

procedures for the documentation and 

publication of testing information. 

In creating the Laboratory Manual the 

EAC sought input from experts and 

stakeholders. Specifically, the EAC 

conducted meetings with 

representatives from the voting system 

test laboratories and from the voting 

system manufacturing community. 

Additionally, the EAC sought input 

from the public. A draft version of the 

EAC Voting System Test Laboratory 

Program Manual was published with a 

request for public comment on February 

4, 2008. (73 FR 6495). The public 

comment period was open until 5 p.m. 

EST on April 4, 2008. While previous 

notice and public comment period were 

not required by law, all comments 

received were considered in the drafting 

of this final administrative manual. 


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