[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 90 (Tuesday, May 10, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 27016]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-11443]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Docket No. 110425262-1258-02]


Evaluating Test Procedures for Voting Systems

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: NIST is soliciting interest in supplying voting equipment used 
in an election in 2008 or later and/or certified (or submitted for 
certification) by the Election Assistance Commission for use by NIST in 
research to develop and assess NIST's test procedures for voting 
equipment. 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 5 p.m. Eastern 
Standard Time on July 11, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Letters of Understanding may be obtained from and should be 
submitted to Benjamin Long, National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, Software and Systems Division, Building 222, Room B306, 100 
Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 8970, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8970. Letters of 
Understanding may be faxed to: Benjamin Long at (301) 975-6097.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For shipping and further information, 
you may telephone Benjamin Long at (301) 975-2816, or e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the provisions of the 
Help America Vote Act (Pub. L. 107-252), the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology (NIST) will be conducting research on voting 
equipment used in an election in 2008 or later and/or certified (or 
submitted for certification) by the Election Assistance Commission to 
develop and assess NIST test protocols for voting equipment. NIST 
research is designed to: (1) Develop advanced test protocols, (2) 
validate test protocols, and (3) support additional research and test 
protocol development for next generation voluntary voting system 
guidelines. NIST may also examine relevant instructions, documentation, 
and error messages, without doing any direct studies thereon.
    NIST is soliciting interest in supplying voting equipment used in 
an election in 2008 or later and/or certified (or submitted for 
certification) by the Election Assistance Commission for use by NIST in 
research to develop and assess NIST's test procedures for voting 
equipment. 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. The Letters of 
Understanding will be entered into pursuant to the authorities granted 
NIST under 15 U.S.C. 3710a. NIST will then provide the manufacturer 
with shipping instructions for the manufacturer's equipment. NIST 
anticipates that it will take approximately two years to conduct all 
necessary experiments to the equipment. No modification to the 
equipment is permitted during the testing process beyond that which is 
necessary and sufficient for performing test method validation 
activities. Manufacturers should be aware that some of the testing 
could damage or destroy the equipment, although NIST expects only 
normal wear and tear. NIST may transport equipment to locations off 
site from NIST's main campus as required for the purpose of conducting 
usability tests. NIST will ensure that all off site benchmark testing 
locations have the same or higher level of security and equipment 
protection procedures as the on-site NIST labs located in the Voting 
System Laboratory in Gaithersburg, MD. At the conclusion of the 
experiments, the equipment will be returned to the manufacturer in its 
post-testing condition. NIST, the Election Assistance Commission, and/
or the Technical Guidelines Development Committee, will not 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 problems 
will be reported to the respective manufacturer. Testing results for 
identifiable vendor equipment will not be released subject to the terms 
and conditions in the Letters of Understanding. Comparative information 
(e.g., testing results from unidentified machine A, B, and C) 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 except those not permitted by law (such as shipping 
insurance, which, if desired, must be purchased by the manufacturer). 
Unless the manufacturer desires to pay such shipping insurance costs, 
there is no other cost to the manufacturer for the testing.
    Voting equipment used in an election in 2008 or later and/or 
certified (or submitted for certification) by the Election Assistance 
Commission that will be accepted for the experiments may include direct 
record electronic systems, optical scan systems, accessible voting 
systems, tabulation and reporting systems, ballot-on-demand, or 
electronic poll book systems as well as software used for ballot design 
and creation.

    Dated: May 4, 2011.
Charles H. Romine,
Acting Associate Director for Laboratory Programs.
[FR Doc. 2011-11443 Filed 5-9-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P