Electronic Poll Books (EPBs) Evaluated at the EAC

On April 8, 2024, the Commissioners of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) voted unanimously to adopt the Election Supporting Technology Evaluation Program Manual Version 1.0 and the Voluntary Electronic Poll Book Certification Requirements Version 1.0 (VEPBCR 1.0). The adoption of these documents marked the official launch of the Voluntary Electronic Poll Book Certification Program under the EAC’s Election Supporting Technology Evaluation Program.

Under this program, the testing and evaluation process requires the completion of an application, employment of an EAC-accredited Voting System Test Laboratory (VSTL) for system testing, and technical analysis of the laboratory test report by the EAC. The result of this process is an Initial Decision on Certification.

Note: Participation in this program does not automatically determine a decision for certification.
The decision to grant or deny certification can only be issued by the EAC. Manufacturers must demonstrate that they have met all requirements under the EAC’s Election Supporting Technology Evaluation Program Manual and the Voluntary Electronic Poll Book Certification Requirements in order to be eligible for certification.

VEPBCR 1.0 - Systems Under Test

Below is a list and status of all electronic poll books currently submitted for potential EAC certification.

To find information about the manufacturers registered under the EAC’s Election Supporting Technology Evaluation Program, visit the ESTEP’s Registered Manufacturers page.

Systems Piloted to VEPBR Version 0.9 (Not Certified)

On October 25, 2023, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) released a report on the findings of the EAC’s Voluntary Electronic Poll Book Pilot Program. The purpose of this pilot program was to conduct a small-scale preliminary study to evaluate the feasibility, duration, cost, adverse events, and improvement opportunities for evaluating e-poll books for federal testing & certification. This pilot program resulted in the revision of the Voluntary Electronic Poll Book Certification Requirements (VEPBCR) and the official launch of the Voluntary Electronic Poll Book Certification Program.

During pilot program testing, which took place between January and August 2023, voting system test laboratories evaluated e-poll book devices from five commercial manufacturers, and two in-house developers (listed below). These systems were evaluated against the pilot version (0.9) of the Voluntary Electronic Poll Book Certification Requirements developed by the EAC’s Election Supporting Technology Evaluation Program (ESTEP) in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), cybersecurity and accessibility experts, and other key stakeholders. The pilot program confirmed that the systems tested are election ready for use in 2024 and would require only minor changes, such as added documentation, to meet the revised requirements. 

Note: Manufacturers and systems that participated in the Pilot Program were not automatically registered or certified with the EAC but are eligible to participate under the Voluntary Electronic Poll Book Certification Program. Interested manufacturers must demonstrate that they have met all requirements under the EAC’s Election Supporting Technology Evaluation Program Manual and the Voluntary Electronic Poll Book Certification Requirements Version 1.0 to apply for certification.