Search Glossary

Examination of a voting system by the purchasing election jurisdiction to validate the performance of delivered devices to ensure they meet procurement requirements, and that the delivered system is, …

Formal recognition that a laboratory is competent to carry out specific tests or calibrations.

(1) Authoritative body that performs accreditation. (2) An independent organization responsible for assessing the performance of other organizations against a recognized standard, and for formally con…

Permission for a product or process to be marketed or used for stated purposes or under stated conditions. NOTE: Approval can be based on fulfillment of specified requirements or completion of specifi…

Be a witness to or formally certify.

Product configuration that has been formally submitted for review against the Standards, which thereafter serves as the basis for further development; and can be changed and offered to jurisdictions o…

Record that reflects the total votes cast for the candidate. This record is augmented as each ballot is cast on a DRE or as digital signals from the conversion of voted paper ballots are logically int…

The act of completing the required paperwork to become a certified candidate for public office.

An official document attesting a certain fact.

A written statement confirmed by oath or affirmation by a person who gathered voter's signatures on a petition.

A written statement confirming that a candidate was elected to public office.

A written statement detailing an election error.

A written statement confirming that a candidate received one of the highest numbers of votes for public office, usually indicating they will be moving on to a general or run-off election.

A form completed by a licensed or certified health professional, or designated agency attesting to an individual’s disability.

A certificate issued by a judicial system to restore voting rights.

The laws and regulations that govern the conditions that are essential elements to certify an elections or voting process.

A written statement attesting that the election results are a true and accurate accounting of all votes cast in a particular election.

A written statement attesting that the number of signatures on a petition counted as valid or rejected is a true and accurate accounting of the facts.

The act of a third party giving written assurance that a product, process or service conforms to specified requirements.

Statement by a vendor declaring that a specific product conforms to a particular standard or set of standard profiles; for voting systems, NASED qualification or EAC certification provides independent…

Demonstration that specified requirements relating to a product, process, system, person or body are fulfilled. See also testing, inspection, certification, accreditation, conformity assessment bodies…

Body that performs conformity assessment services. NOTE An accreditation body is not a conformity assessment body.

Revocation of national or state certification of voting system hardware and software.

Deprecated, replaced by Voting System Testing Laboratory. Organization certified by the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) to perform qualification testing.

The Voting Rights Act outlaws literacy- and language-based voting qualifications or prerequisites. Section 203 recognizes widespread voting discrimination against Alaskan Native, American Indian, Asia…

The NIST National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program.

Report of results of independent testing of a voting system by an accredited test lab delivered to the U. S. Election Assistance Commission with a recommendation regarding granting a certification num…

Examination and testing of a voting system to determine if the system complies with the performance and other requirements of the national certification standards and with its own specifications.

The National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program operated by National Institute of Standards And Technology (NIST).

A document that has been certified by a notary public, who is an official who verifies the identities of everybody signing the document and certifies the document with a stamp.

Document providing further guidance and explanation on the requirements and procedures of the Election Assistance Commission’s (EAC) Voting System Certification or Voting System Testing Lab (VSTL) pro…

Inspection by an accredited test laboratory that compares the voting system components submitted for certification testing to the vendor’s technical documentation and confirms that the documentation s…

A number issued by NASED (National Association of State Election Directors) to a system that has been tested by an accredited independent testing authority for compliance with the voting system standa…

Examination and testing of a voting system by a NASED-accredited independent testing authority to determine if the system conforms to the performance and other requirements of the national certificati…

The conditions necessary in order for an individual to register to vote, such as being a citizen of the United States and over 18 years of age.

The conditions necessary in order for a voter to cast a ballot, such as registering to vote by a certain deadline.

Means the system has been certified, if applicable, by means of qualification testing by a nationally recognized test laboratory (i.e., VSLT) and has met or exceeded the minimum requirements set forth…

Officially recognized as having met the requirements; certified.

Voting Systems that have met the standards to be certified for use in a jurisdiction.

Any person seeking election, but whose name will not be printed on the ballot. For these votes to be tallied and certified, the candidate must file forms with the election official during the qualifyi…

The process of meeting all of the requirements to be officially recognized as certified.

Re-examination, and possibly retesting of a voting system that was modified subsequent to receiving national and/or state certification. The object of this is to determine if the system as modified st…

An official document providing proof of registration.

The serial number associated with a voter's registration on an electoral roll.

Amendment by Congress in 1998, to the Rehabilitation Act to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Section 508 was enacted…

A different candidate for vice president from the one whose name appears on the party's certification or nominating petition at any time before seventy-five days before the general election, by certif…

Sum of the work by a voting system test lab on a single product or system from contract through test plan, conduct of testing for each requirement (including hardware, software, and systems), reportin…

Organization that performs qualification testing and produces qualification test reports. See also Voting System Testing Laboratory.

Everything that is necessary in order for an individual to be able to vote in an election.

The process by which the EAC, through testing and evaluation conducted by an accredited Voting System Test Laboratory, validates that a voting system meets the requirements set forth in existing votin…