Election Equipment Requirements, Testing, and Certifications
Voting systems and any modifications to a voting system used must meet or exceed federal standards for voting systems and must be approved by the Secretary of State prior to use in any election in the State of Nevada (NRS 293B.105).
Voting systems used in the State of Nevada are tested end to end before, during, and after each election and go through many certification processes along the way (NRS 293B & NAC 293B).
The list below provides the numerous tests and certifications that occur throughout an election cycle:
- Software and Operating System Certifications – NAC 293B.110
- Before and after each election cycle for federal office: certification that the “HASH” values for each piece of software and firmware match the identities on file with the National Software Reference Library (NSRL) with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
- Pre-LAT (Logic and Accuracy Testing) – NRS 293B.150 & NRS 293B.155
- Certification that testing was completed and produced expected results. This testing is witnessed and approved by a bipartisan Accuracy Certification Board (ACB).
- File Election Computer Program – NRS 293B.135(1) & NAC 293B.050(2)
- One week before the election, the files that contain the actual election project without any of the results is filed with the Office of the Secretary of State
- Audit of Voter Verifiable Paper Trail (VVPAT) – NAC 293.255
- Certification of the audit conducted to verify that the electronic ballots cast were tallied correctly by checking the electronic votes cast with the corresponding paper audit trail for that ballot is conducted. This process is conducted by the Accuracy Certification Board who sign off on the results.
- Post-election Audit Verification of Operating System – NAC 293B.120
- Audit of a percentage of machines to compare the “HASH” value to the National Software Reference Library (NSRL) with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This is the same verification that is completed prior the election.
- Mechanized Report Post Election – NRS 293.387(3)
- Computer program filed with the Secretary of State with all file (election) results.
- Malfunction Report – NRS 293.4695(1)
- Any malfunction in the voting machines, pollbooks, etc, are reported to the Secretary of State
- Election Process Report – NRS 293.4695(2)
- Reporting to the Secretary of State including, but not limited to, any ballot discarded, any voting system malfunction, challenges, complaints, provisional ballots and any results of all audits.
- Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS) - https://www.eac.gov/research-and-data/studies-and-reports
- Federal survey per the requirements of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) administered by the Election Assistance Commission.