EAC - Voluntary Voting System Guidelines

Name : | Pamela Smith
Organization : | The Verified Voting Foundation
Post Date : | 9/30/2005
Glossary Comments
Glossary Term : | WPAT
Definition : |
Comment : | CLARIFICATION OF TERMS: The (currently “optional”) VVPAT guidelines fail to define the term "VVPAT" sufficiently. Voter-verified paper ballots such as optical scan ballots, which can be voted with the assistance of ballot-marking devices or by the voter manually marking the ballot, would not fit the same model as a voter-verified paper audit trail printer such as would be attached to a DRE voting machine. Machines that simply print ballots without keeping an electronic copy also do not meet the DRE+VVPAT model. Without clarification in the guidelines, the VVSG seem to assume that state-mandated paper trail requirements will be met by DRE voting machines with attached voterverifiable printers. Some requirements, for example, that the voter not be able to handle the ballot, are inappropriate for ballot-marking devices. Yet we know that the EAC does not (and should not!) oppose the use of ballot-marking devices. We urge the EAC to clarify in the VVSG must clarify which requirements apply to which technology.