FIRST
DRAFT OF STANDARD FOR NEXT-GENERATION VOTING EQUIPMENT COMPLETED
AND
UNDER BALLOT
IEEE 1583 Aims to Improve Voting Process and
Help States Replace Older Voting Equipment
Contact:
Stephen Berger,
IEEE 1583 Standards Committee Chair
+1 512 864 3365, stephen.berger@ieee.org
or
Karen McCabe, IEEE Senior Marketing Manager
+1 732 562 3824, k.mccabe@ieee.org
PISCATAWAY, N.J., USA, 3 Sept. 2003 The first draft of
the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) P1583(TM)
voting equipment standard is complete and is being balloted within
the committee that created it, as well as to members of the IEEE
Standards Association and others who signed up to review it.
Balloting
will extend through September. All comments received will be considered
at the IEEE P1583 Standards Committee meeting on Oct. 2 and 3
in Austin, Texas. The revised draft will be recirculated after
all input has been addressed.
The IEEE P1583
"Voting Equipment Standard" will set specifications
for advanced voting equipment so the voting process is more reliable,
secure and accessible. It also will help guide states and localities
in replacing older voting equipment. The draft standard can be
purchased online by visiting the IEEE Online Store http://shop.ieee.org/store/
and by searching using "P1583" in the "search by
standard number" box.
The standard
encompasses the latest engineering, quality, usability, accessibility
and information technologies. It stresses security in voting system
hardware, software, communications and documentation, and incorporates
all equipment specifications in the federal Help America Vote
Act (HAVA).
"We were able to draft this comprehensive standard in just
about two years," said Stephen Berger, chair of the IEEE
Sponsoring Committee. "Now it's time for all stakeholders,
from local, state and federal election officials to equipment
manufacturers, to tell us how to improve this definitive guide
for those who make, buy and use voting equipment."
The standard
addresses equipment used by voters in voting and tabulation at
polling, absentee and early-voting sites. It includes equipment
used to display and cast a ballot and to tabulate precinct ballots,
as well as ancillary voting-site equipment. It applies to such
tasks as testing, transportation, storage and use by poll workers.
The standards committee worked closely with the National Association
of State Election Directors (NASED) and the Federal Election Commission
(FEC) in creating the draft. It also attracted a high level of
talent from all areas of the electoral process, including senior
management from voting equipment companies and senior election
officials from major states.
The IEEE 1583 Standards Committee is involved in other voting
equipment efforts. For instance, it provided extensive comments
for the 2002 FEC Voting System Standard before it was issued.
It also sits on the Voting System Standards Board at the National
Association of State Election Directors and on the Technical Guidelines
Committee of the Election Administration Commission formed under
HAVA.
For further information about the IEEE 1583 Standards Committee
see: http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/scc38/1583/.
About the
IEEE Standards Association
The IEEE Standards Association, a globally recognized standards-setting
body, develops consensus standards through an open process that
brings diverse parts of an industry together. These standards
set specifications and procedures based on current scientific
consensus. The IEEE-SA has a portfolio of more than 870 completed
standards and more than 400 standards in development. Over 15,000
IEEE members worldwide belong to IEEE-SA and voluntarily participate
in standards activities. For further information on IEEE-SA see:
http://standards.ieee.org/.
About the
IEEE
The IEEE has more than 380,000 members in approximately 150 countries.
Through its members, the organization is a leading authority on
areas ranging from aerospace, computers and telecommunications
to biomedicine, electric power and consumer electronics. The IEEE
produces nearly 30 percent of the world's literature in electrical
and electronics engineering and in computer science. This nonprofit
organization also sponsors or cosponsors more than 300 technical
conferences each year. Additional information about the IEEE can
be found at http://www.ieee.org/.
IEEE P1583
is a trademark of the IEEE. All other names or product names are
the trademarks, service marks or registered trademarks of their
respective holders.
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