Election Assistance Commission
October 7, 2008
Commission Accredits Fifth Voting System Test Lab
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) has accredited CIBER, Inc. to be the fifth voting system test
laboratory under the commission’s Voting System Certification and Testing Program. Click here for more information about
CIBER and other EAC accredited labs. Commissioners also approved EAC staff recommendations regarding CIBER, including
on-site testing observation and technical assessments as provided under Section 4.5.2 of the EAC Lab Manual.
Commissioners accredited CIBER, Inc. following a recommendation by the National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST), and after an independent EAC review of non-technical issues such as conflict-of-interest policies,
organizational structure, and recordkeeping protocols. In addition to CIBER, Inc., Wyle Laboratories, InfoGuard Labs,
iBeta Quality Assurance and SysTest Labs have also been accredited by EAC. All five labs will test against the 2005
Voluntary Voting System Guidelines.
The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 mandates that EAC establish a voluntary program to accredit voting system test
laboratories and certify voting equipment. NIST, through its National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP)
conducts the initial review of the labs, and then provides recommendations to the EAC regarding laboratory
accreditation. For more information about the NIST/NVLAP accreditation process and to view related documents, visit
www.vote.nist.gov.
EAC’s Voting System Certification and Laboratory Accreditation Program represents the first time the federal government
has accredited test laboratories and certified voting equipment. In the past, these functions were performed on a
volunteer basis by the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED). Participation by the states in EAC’s
testing and certification program is voluntary. For a list of registered manufacturers, accredited labs, voting systems
applying for certification and other information, please visit
http://www.eac.gov/News/portal_factory/program-areas/voting-systems/.
ENDS
The EAC is an independent commission created by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). The EAC serves as a national
clearinghouse and resource of information regarding election administration. It is charged with administering payments
to states and developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and
accrediting voting system test laboratories and certifying voting equipment. It is also charged with developing and
maintaining a national mail voter registration form. The four EAC commissioners are Rosemary Rodriguez, chair; Donetta
Davidson, vice chair; Gracia Hillman and Gineen Beach.