U.S. Election Assistance Commision

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    As elections season comes upon us, the focus on how elections are administered isn't common. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) was established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). It is an independent, bipartisan commission that was created to assist the states regarding HAVA compliance and to distribute HAVA funds to the states. The EAC is charged with creating voting system guidelines and operating the federal government's first voting system certification program. It is also responsible for maintaining the National Voter Registration form, conducting research, and administering a national clearinghouse on elections that includes shared practices, information for voters and other resources to improve elections. Other responsibilities include maintaining the national mail voter registration form developed in accordance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

Each commissioner is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

Help America Vote Act

The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 was passed by the United States Congress to make sweeping reforms to the nation's voting process. HAVA addresses improvements to voting systems and voter access that were identified following the 2000 election.

HAVA creates new mandatory minimum standards for states to follow in several key areas of election administration. The law provides funding to help states meet these new standards, replace voting systems and improve election administration. 


HAVA requires that the states implement the following new programs and procedures:
  • Provisional Voting
  • Voting Information
  • Updated and Upgraded Voting Equipment
  • Statewide Voter Registration Databases
  • Voter Identification Procedures
  • Administrative Complaint Procedures

Learn more about the function of the U.S. EAC in the video below. 


Election Official Security

The U.S. EAC offers security resources for election officials. They include:
  • Non-Confrontational Techniques for Election Workers Trainings


Other tips for election officials touch on cybersecurity. To address hacking, EAC urges people to use strong passwords, invent answers to security questions, turn on multi-factor authentication, and be aware of phishing emails. EAC also urges election officials to document everything in regards to abusive messages. 

Chain of Custody Best Practices


    The Chain of Custody, which refers to the "process that documents the transfer of materials from one person (or place) to the next." Every jurisdiction has its own ways of ensuring chain of custody. The process for ballots, voting equipment, and associated data is crucial to remain trustworthy. EAC has an entire collection of practices to ensure proper chain of custody. 

Election Audits Across the United States
    Election audits confirm that voting systems operate accurately, election officials comply with rules, and resolve discrepancies. There is no national auditing standard, so methods vary greatly. In recent years, election audits have become a topic of interest. The EAC's document on audits has insight on types of audits, timing, policies, case studies, and state-specific information. 

Voter Resources

    The EAC also has information for voters in a variety of areas. They offer:
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Eager to know more? Start here.

Government Information Online is produced by the staff at the Oklahoma State University Libraries Government Documents Department, a regional depository for U.S. Government and Oklahoma state government documents. We are located on the 5th floor of the Edmon Low Library. Our department website can be reached at www.info.library.okstate.edu/government-documents. For more information or for research assistance, contact us at 405.744.6546. or email suzanne.reinman@okstate.edu.





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