[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 23 (Monday, February 4, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6494-6495]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 08-453]


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ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; EAC's Voting System Test Laboratory Accreditation 
Program Manual

AGENCY: U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC).

ACTION: Notice; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The EAC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork 
and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take 
this opportunity to comment on a proposed information collection, EAC's 
Voting System Test Laboratory Accreditation Program Manual. 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, including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used; (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. Comments submitted in 
response to this notice will be summarized and included in the request 
for approval of this information collection by the Office of Management 
and budget; they also will become a matter of public record. This 
notice requests comments solely on the four criteria above. A separate 
notice will be published on the Federal Register to request substantive 
comments on the proposed information collection; please refer to the 
EAC's Web site, http://www.eac.gov, for further information regarding 
the submission of substantive comments.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before 5 p.m. EDT on 
April 4, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Comments and recommendations on the proposed information 
collection must be submitted in writing through either: (1) 
Electronically to [email protected]. or (2) U.S. postal mail to the 
U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 1225 New York Avenue, NW., Suite 
1100, Washington, DC 20005, Attn: Laiza N. Otero, Election Research 
Specialist. To ensure receipt and proper handling, comments submitted 
via U.S. postal mail shall clearly indicate that they are in response 
to this Federal Register notice by writing ``Paperwork Reduction Act'' 
in the heading section of the letter.

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, write to 
the above address or contact Laiza N. Otero, Election Research 
Specialist, at (202) 566-3100. 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

[[Page 6495]]

order to meet its statutory requirements under HAVA Section 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 in 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. 08-453 Filed 2-1-08; 8:45 am]
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