[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 62 (Friday, April 1, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16801-16802]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-6479]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Docket No.: 050309067-5067-01]


Voting Equipment Evaluations

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the provisions of the Help America Vote Act 
(HAVA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will 
be conducting research on voting equipment used in the 2004 elections. 
The NIST research is designed to: (1) Determine the realistic usability 
benchmarks for current voting system technology to support usability 
performance standards in next generation voluntary voting systems 
standards, and (2) develop usability test protocols for conformance 
testing of such standards. NIST may also examine relevant instructions, 
documentation and error messages, without doing any direct usability 
studies thereon. Manufacturers interested in participating in this 
research will be asked to execute a Letter of Understanding. Interested 
parties are invited to contact NIST for information regarding 
participation, Letters of Understanding and shipping.

DATES: Manufacturers who wish to participate in the program must submit 
a request and an executed Letter of Understanding by May 2, 2005, 5 
p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

ADDRESSES: Letters of Understanding may be obtained from and should be 
submitted to Allan C. Eustis, National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, Information Technology Laboratory Office, Technology 
Building 225, Room B257, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 8901, 
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8901. Letters of Understanding may be faxed to: 
Allan C. Eustis at (301) 840-1357.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For shipping and further information, 
you may telephone Allan C. Eustis at (301) 975-5099, or e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the provisions of the 
Help America Vote Act (Public Law 107-252), the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology (NIST) will be conducting research on voting 
equipment used in the 2004 elections. The NIST research is in support 
of Technical Guidelines Development Committee Resolution 5-05 Human 
Performance-Based Standards and Usability Testing, and are designed to: 
(1) Determine the realistic usability benchmarks for current voting 
system technology to support usability performance standards in next 
generation voluntary voting systems

[[Page 16802]]

standards, and (2) develop usability test protocols for conformance 
testing of such standards. NIST may also examine relevant instructions, 
documentation and error messages, without doing any direct usability 
studies thereon.
    Interested manufacturers should contact NIST at the address given 
above. NIST will supply a Letter of Understanding, which the 
manufacturer must execute and send back to NIST. NIST will then provide 
the manufacturer with shipping instructions for the manufacturer's 
equipment.
    The equipment provided will be returned to the manufacturer after 
the NIST experiments, approximately one year from commencement of the 
experiments. Manufacturers should be aware that some of the testing 
could damage or destroy the equipment, although NIST expects only 
normal wear and tear associated with approximately 100 to 1,000 votes 
cast on the equipment by simulated voters. At the conclusion of the 
experiments, the equipment will be returned to the manufacturer in its 
post-testing condition. Neither NIST, nor the Election Assistance 
Commission, nor the Technical Guidelines Development Committee, will be 
responsible for the condition of the equipment when returned to the 
manufacturer. As a condition for participating in this program, each 
manufacturer must agree in advance to hold harmless all of these 
parties for the condition of the equipment.
    Information acquired during the tests regarding potential usability 
problems will be reported to the respective manufacturer. Results for 
identifiable vendor equipment will not be released. Comparative 
information may be released in a blind manner. Performance standards 
benchmarks and conformance test procedures will be made publicly 
available.
    Participating manufacturers should include or provide a technical 
tutorial on the setup and deployment of the equipment. NIST will pay 
all shipping costs, and there is no cost to the manufacturer for the 
testing. No modification to the equipment is permitted during the 
testing process.
    Voting equipment used in the 2004 elections that will be accepted 
for the experiments includes Direct Recording Electronic, and Optical 
Scan systems used to cast and count votes as well as software used for 
ballot design and creation.

    Dated: March 24, 2005.
Hratch G. Semerjian,
Acting Director.
[FR Doc. 05-6479 Filed 3-31-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P