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Election Assistance Commission Best Practices Election Assistance Commission Best Practices
Election Assistance Commission Best Practices
 

Click Here to View the Best Practices Tool Kit

Welcome to the United States Election Assistance Commission Best Practices Tool Kit.

BEST PRACTICES IN
ADMINISTRATION, MANAGEMENT AND
SECURITY IN VOTING SYSTEMS AND
PROVISIONAL VOTING:
A Tool Kit for Election Administrators
and Stakeholders:
Issue One


Purpose of the “Best Practices Tool Kit.” One of the primary functions of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), as established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), is to serve as a clearinghouse for the nation’s election officials. Congress directed the EAC to research and compile “best practices” on a wide variety of topics and to make the expertise and practical wisdom of experienced election administrators available to all. In that spirit, the EAC offers this “Best Practices Tool Kit” for local election administrators as they plan for the first Presidential Election following the historic election of November 2000.

This Tool Kit presents tips, reminders and common sense recommendations culled from discussions with and materials provided by experienced local and state election administrators, voter advocates and academics. In addition, four key sections provide guidance on the management of specific voting systems, focusing on strengthening accountability, reliability, usability and security. Electronic links in the document allow tool kit users to review models provided by their colleagues and other experts.

These practices, shared by colleagues from small and large jurisdictions and reviewed by both the EAC Standards Board and Board of Advisors, are intended to help bolster public confidence in the elections process by providing guidance to election administrators on methods for keeping the process secure while ensuring that every eligible voter can cast a vote and have that vote counted.

Countdown to November 2004. There is little doubt that the November 2004 Presidential Election will be conducted under a microscope. This Tool Kit is intended specifically for local election officials who will be on the front lines this November. Accordingly, the intended timeframe for implementing or using these practices, recommendations and checklists lies from now until November 2004. We recognize the importance of more long-term systematic changes but we are also acutely aware of the dangers of recommending 11th-hour changes.

How was the Tool Kit developed? The initial draft of the Tool Kit compiled recommendations made to the EAC at two public hearings that brought together election administrators, community advocates and academic researchers to discuss issues facing election officials this year. A working group of local administrators subsequently reviewed these recommendations and drew on their own experiences to develop a fuller and more detailed draft of the Tool Kit. This draft was then shared with the EAC Standards Board and Board of Advisors at their initial meetings in Houston, Texas. The final version reflects comments, as well as additional ideas and materials that came out of this review process.

Why was the provisional voting section included? Although many jurisdictions have offered a form of provisional voting for many years, a number of states will be implementing this practice for the first time in 2004. Therefore, a brief overview was included so that jurisdictions new to provisional voting could borrow from the shared experiences of those who were familiar with it.

Note Regarding State Laws and Regulations. We recognize that state laws, regulations and time may not allow you to consider and implement ideas shared in this paper. It is our intention for them to be considered in that context.

Reader Feedback. We would like to hear from you, the reader. If you have comments, suggestions or additional information for the Tool Kit, please contact us at HAVAtoolkit@eac.gov. We will be posting this “Best Practices in Administration, Management and Security in Voting Systems and Provisional Voting” Tool Kit on the U. S. Election Assistance Commission website as a work in progress. It will be updated periodically to reflect new challenges, solutions and shared practices.

Summary
We sincerely hope that this, the first issue of the “Best Practices Tool Kit,” will help users as they prepare for the November 2004 Presidential Election.


THE U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION


DeForest B. Soaries, Jr. Chairman Gracia Hillman, Vice-Chair
Paul DeGregorio, Commissioner Ray Martinez III, Commissioner


Click Here to View the Best Practices Tool Kit