Modernizing voting system guidelines and testing

If you have ever looked at the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG), you might be overcome by the sheer size of the document and the level of detail included. If your state requires federal certification for the voting systems you use, the VVSG 1.0 (2005) or 1.1 (2015) are the specifications used to test the voting systems against.

We all learned a lot from the process of creating and refreshing the VVSG over the years. In the meantime, so much has changed. The technology has changed, the market of voting technology has changed, laws have changed — elections have changed.

Modernizing voting system guidelines and testing

On September 12, 2017, the Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC), a committee formed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), adopted a new version of the VVSG, which they’re affectionately calling VVSG 2.0.

VVSG 2.0 is 5 pages long. It forms the backbone of what will eventually be a suite of documents that will address detailed specifications and test assertions.

“These new guidelines are designed to spur innovations that allow local election officials to give voters the best experience possible. The standards will ensure improved accessibility, security, accuracy and auditability of voting systems.”

– Matt Masterson, Chair of the Election Assistance Commission

Good design is a guiding principle

We are particularly excited about VVSG 2.0 for a number of reasons. First, it was high time they were updated to reflect current and future direction for voting and elections. Second, our Whitney Quesenbery has been deeply involved in this work, and we are proud of her contributions. Third, the new guidelines are much simpler, organized around 15 principles that will ensure accessibility, security, accuracy, and auditability of voting systems. Finally, we are absolutely thrilled that Principle 1 is “High quality design.”

In 2000, no one was thinking about usability and accessibility for voters (let alone election administrators). A “usable” ballot was one that could be tallied and counted by the voting system. We’ve all come a long way.

As we mentioned, much has changed. Here’s the new principle #1:

Principle 1: HIGH QUALITY DESIGN
The voting system is designed to accurately, completely, and robustly carry out election processes.
1.1 The voting system is designed using commonly-accepted election process specifications.
1.2 The voting system is designed to function correctly under all realistic operating conditions.
1.3 Voting system design supports evaluation methods enabling testers to clearly and easily distinguish systems that correctly implement specified properties from those that do not.

The VVSG’s new format will be more flexible and responsive to changes in the election landscape.

Next steps

Next, the EAC will share the draft VVSG 2.0 with the EAC Board of Advisors and the Standards Board, and then there will be a 90-day public comment period. The goal is to complete the new VVSG by 2018.

The EAC’s announcement
The draft VVSG 2.0