[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 222 (Monday, November 19, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65012-65013]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-22570]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Docket No.: 070927542-7543-01]


Voting Equipment Evaluations Phase II

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) 
conducted initial benchmark research (Phase I) on voting equipment used 
in the 2004 elections. (See: http://vote.nist.gov/meeting-08172007/Usability-Benchmarks-080907.doc). NIST is soliciting interest in Phase 
II of the benchmark research for voting equipment certified or 
submitted for certification to the 2005 Voluntary Voting System 
Guidelines. The NIST research is designed to: (1) Determine the 
realistic usability benchmarks for current and future 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 Phase II of 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 5 p.m. Eastern 
Standard Time on March 18, 2008.

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 222, Room A328, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 8970, 
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8970. Letters of Understanding may be faxed to: 
Allan C. Eustis at (301) 975-6097.

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 (Pub. L. 107-

[[Page 65013]]

252), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will be 
conducting Phase II research on voting equipment certified or submitted 
for certification to the 2005 Voluntary Voting System Guidelines. NIST 
Phase I and NIST Phase II research support Technical Guidelines 
Development Committee Resolution 05-05, 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 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. Phase I provided research for 
determining initial benchmarks (see: http://vote.nist.gov/meeting-08172007/Usability-Benchmarks-080907.doc), and Phase II continues the 
research to develop usability test protocols.
    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 certified or submitted for certification to the 
2005 Voluntary Voting System Guidelines that will be accepted for the 
experiments includes Direct Recording Electronic, and Optical Scan 
systems and Accessible Voting Systems used to cast and count votes as 
well as software used for ballot design and creation.

    Dated: November 9, 2007.
Richard F. Kayser,
Acting Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. E7-22570 Filed 11-16-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P