Government Technology

    Digital Communities
    Industry Members

  • Click sponsor logos for whitepapers, case studies, and best practices.
  • McAfee
  • Net App
  • NIC
  • Perceptive Software

E-Vote: Colorado Secretary of State Wants Federal Testing of Voting Equipment



January 9, 2008 By

Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman, who last month recommended paper ballots for the upcoming elections, followed that with a recommendation that voting system testing and certification be conducted by the United States Elections Assistance Commission (EAC) instead of the state, and recommended that the General Assembly introduce legislation to that effect this month.  

"The testing of electronic voting equipment is extremely important," said Coffman in a release. "Now that the EAC is ready to take over the responsibility for the testing of voting equipment, Colorado should not duplicate the Commission's efforts."

The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) was passed in 2002 creating the federal Elections Assistance Commission (EAC) along with a mandate for the newly formed agency to establish standards for electronic voting equipment and to supervise a federal certification process that would give assurances to the states that their voting equipment met standards of reliability, were secure, and could accurately count every vote.

Since the passage of HAVA, the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) assumed responsibility for certifying electronic voting equipment. However, the EAC now has the ability to perform these functions, according to Coffman.

Russ Ragsdale, Broomfield City and County clerk, has been serving for the last three years in an advisory role to the EAC as a representative of Colorado election officials.

"There has been little focus on the certification process at the federal level until the creation of the EAC. The EAC has now been able to bring resources to bear such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology to help develop a process that states can have confidence in," said Ragsdale.

Coffman wants legislation that would allow his office to accept federal certification of electronic voting equipment and would only require him to test for Colorado specific election issues that might not be covered in the federal certification process.

| More

Comments


Add Your Comment

You are solely responsible for the content of your comments. We reserve the right to remove comments that are considered profane, vulgar, obscene, factually inaccurate, off-topic, or considered a personal attack.

In Our Library

White Papers | Exclusives Reports | Webinar Archives | Best Practices and Case Studies
WHITEPAPER: D Block Spectrum Act and the FirstNet Broadband Network. What does it all mean?
On Feb 22, 2012, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 was enacted into law. This law will ensure the establishment of a nationwide, interoperable public safety broadband network in every state and territory in the U.S. Learn about the new law and what you can do to prepare for it now.
New Research Reveals Surprising Trend for Funding Innovation
Listen to an informative discussion with Digital Communities members to learn how you can use your IT savings and efficiencies to do the new things you have been waiting to do.
Continuity with Cloud Solutions
Cloud solutions provide agility, flexibility and scalability to government agencies. In an emergency situation where an agency’s infrastructure and resources are impacted, prioritization and restoration become critical elements of a disaster recovery plan. The flexibility of cloud services helps agencies make adjustments to processing capacity on demand.
View All

Digital Communities members get access to our collaboration task forces

427 Members

77 Discussions

84 Files

Latest members Become a member

Digital Communities members get access to our collaboration task forces

669 Members

145 Discussions

150 Files

Latest members Become a member

 


Featured White Papers & Reports

The Future of the Desktop in Government

Until recently, there was no alternative to the familiar desktop computer, and its expensive upgrades and maintenance requirements. For cash-strapped local governments, the desktop computer is quickly becoming an unsustainable option for future progress. Now, a technology known as virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) offers an alternative. It can be significantly more affordable than buying individual computers for every employee, and it provides similar capability. This paper shows how VDI is the future of the desktop and is a game-changer for local governments.


View Full Library

Events

GTC East

Don't miss this opportunity to see the latest in digital government solutions, keep abreast of current policy issues and network with key government executives, technologists and industry specialists.

View All Events