EAC - Voluntary Voting System Guidelines

Name : | Conny B. McCormack
Organization : | County of Los Angeles
Post Date : | 9/30/2005
General Comments
Comment : | I appreciate the opportunity to submit written remarks at the close of the public comment period on the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) that have been dtafted by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) with the assistance of the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST). It is apparent that a tremendous amount of work bd expertise was expended over the past 1 1/2 years ln compiling this document that was! released for public comment at the end of June 2005. Subsequent to the compilation of the draft VVSG, a number of election jurisdictions at both the State and local levels have begun to consider and/or adopt the use oft~lephone voting to meet the accessibility requirements of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Seqtion 301 (a)(3)(A)(B). Fortunately, HAVA contemplated innovative approaches to complian4e with this Section's requirements. Indeed, the language ofHA VA Section 301 (a)(3)(A)(B) appenrs prescient with regard to the use of telephone voting to meet the accesslbility requir~ents. That Section's wording offers flexibility in approach by specifying that compliance can be met by "the use of one direct recording electronic voting system or other voting system equipped for individuals with disabilities at each polling place" (emphasis added). However, it is less clear that the VVSG contemplates or encompasses the use of such an approach.