The Next Big Election Challenge: Developing Electronic Data Transaction Standards for Election Administration

Michael Alvarez, Professor of Political Science and Co-Director, Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project California Institute of Technology, and Thad E. Hall, Assistant Professor Department of Political Science University of Utah

6/08/2008
(Original Publish Date: 7/1/2005)

In this report, Professors Alvarez and Hall discuss the challenge of moving toward the implementation of a set of electronic transaction standards (ETS) for election administration across the nation. According to the authors of the report, such a standard would allow election management systems to communicate seamlessly and share data to create “a more accurate, cost-effective, and accessible election process and voting experience.” Such a standard would enable state and local governments to adopt a modular approach to better integrate election management and voting products, make possible the development of truly integrated voter registration systems, and enhance the ability to conduct consistent and effective post-election audits of elections.