How does NVLAP determine the competency of laboratories to test voting systems?
To be accredited by NVLAP, a laboratory must demonstrate both its general technical competence and its competence to perform a core set of voting system tests. Currently, laboratories are using proprietary test methods and test cases to determine that a voting system meets existing federal standards. The federal standards are the 2002 Voting System Standards (VSS) (see http://www.eac.gov/voting_sys_cert.htm) and EAC-adopted 2005 Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) (see http://www.eac.gov/vvsg_intro.htm). Technical criteria for the NVLAP voting system testing laboratory accredition program are contained in NIST Handbook 150 – 22: NVLAP Voting System Testing, available at http://www.nist.gov/nvlap. Q. Why are laboratories using proprietary test methods? Currently, no uniform set of tests exists to determine that a voting system meets federal standards. With the support of the EAC, in 2007 NIST will begin to develop a uniform set of non-proprietary tests to be used in conjunction wi
