Elections Status And Use Of Federal Voting Equipment Standards Report To Congressional Requesters PDF Download

Much of the voting equipment acquired with federal funds after the enactment of the Help America Vote Act in 2002 may now be reaching the end of its life span, and some states and local election jurisdictions—which number about 10,300 and generally have responsibility for conducting federal elections—have or are considering whether to replace their equipment. This report addresses (1) the types of voting equipment jurisdictions used for the 2016 general election and their perspectives on the equipment; (2) factors considered when deciding whether to replace equipment and replacement approaches in selected jurisdictions; and (3) stakeholder perspectives on how federal voting system guidelines affect replacing and developing equipment. GAO surveyed officials from a nationwide generalizable sample of 800 local jurisdictions (68 percent weighted response rate) and all 50 states and the District of Columbia (46 responded) to obtain information on voting equipment use and replacement. GAO also interviewed officials from (1) five jurisdictions, selected based on population size and type of voting equipment used, among other things, to illustrate equipment replacement approaches; and (2) seven voting system vendors, selected based on prevalence of jurisdictions’ use of equipment, type of equipment manufactured, and systems certified, to obtain views on federal voting system guidelines. These interviews are not generalizable, but provide insights into jurisdictions’ and vendors’ experiences.