CERTIFICATION IN PROGRESS

EAC VVSG 2.0 Compliance

Election Assistance Commission Voluntary Voting System Guidelines 2.0. VoteSecured is designed to meet VVSG 2.0 requirements for secure, accessible, and auditable voting systems — independent VSTL testing pending.

Total Controls
127
Controls Implemented
119
Not Applicable
8
Implementation Rate
93.7%

Security Requirements

Cryptographic protection, access controls, and system integrity

Control ID Requirement Status Implementation Details
SEC-1.1 Cryptographic Protection — System shall use FIPS 140-2 Level 3 validated cryptographic modules COMPLIANT Uses FIPS 140-2 Level 3 validated HSMs for all cryptographic operations. AES-256 encryption for data at rest, TLS 1.3 for data in transit, and ECDSA P-384 for digital signatures.
SEC-1.2 Key Management — Cryptographic keys shall be generated, stored, and managed according to NIST SP 800-57 COMPLIANT Implements hierarchical key management with automatic key rotation every 90 days. Master keys stored in offline HSMs, operational keys derived using HKDF with proper entropy sources.
SEC-2.1 Access Control — System shall implement role-based access control with least privilege COMPLIANT Multi-factor authentication required for all administrative access. Role-based permissions with separation of duties. Administrative actions require dual approval and are cryptographically logged.
SEC-2.2 Session Management — Secure session establishment and management with timeout controls COMPLIANT JWT tokens with 15-minute expiration, secure session cookies with SameSite and HttpOnly flags. Automatic logout after inactivity and concurrent session limits.
SEC-3.1 Data Integrity — All stored data shall have cryptographic integrity protection COMPLIANT SHA-384 digital signatures on all stored records. Merkle trees for ballot batches with blockchain anchoring. Real-time integrity verification with automatic corruption detection.
SEC-3.2 Secure Communications — All network communications must use approved encryption protocols COMPLIANT TLS 1.3 with perfect forward secrecy. Certificate pinning and HSTS headers. All API communications use mutual TLS authentication with client certificates.

Software Independence Requirements

Auditability and verification independent of software correctness

Control ID Requirement Status Implementation Details
SI-1.1 Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail — System must provide voter-verified paper records for all votes COMPLIANT Generates cryptographically signed paper ballots with QR codes containing encrypted vote data. Voters verify selections on paper before casting. Paper serves as authoritative record for audits.
SI-1.2 Independent Verification — Vote records must be verifiable by independent systems COMPLIANT Open-source verification tools can independently read and verify paper ballot QR codes. Cryptographic proofs allow third-party auditing without accessing private keys.
SI-2.1 Risk-Limiting Audits — System must support statistical risk-limiting audits COMPLIANT Built-in RLA module supports ballot-level comparison audits. Automated sample selection using approved statistical methods. Integration with audit software like ARLO and R2B2.
SI-2.2 Cast Vote Records — Maintain cast vote records separate from tabulation software COMPLIANT CVRs stored in immutable append-only ledger separate from tabulation engine. Cryptographic links between paper ballots and digital CVRs enable comprehensive auditing.

Accessibility Requirements

Universal design ensuring equal access for all voters

Control ID Requirement Status Implementation Details
ACC-1.1 Audio Voting Interface — Provide audio ballot presentation with navigation controls COMPLIANT Full audio interface with speech synthesis in multiple languages. Headphone support with adjustable volume and speech rate. Keyboard and switch navigation compatible with assistive devices.
ACC-1.2 Visual Display Options — Support high contrast, large text, and magnification COMPLIANT High contrast modes, adjustable font sizes up to 200%, zoom functionality up to 400%. Support for screen readers and follows WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines.
ACC-2.1 Alternative Input Methods — Support various input devices for voters with motor disabilities COMPLIANT Supports sip-and-puff devices, paddle switches, and other assistive input devices. Adjustable timing controls and dwell-click functionality. Touch screen with adjustable sensitivity.
ACC-2.2 Language Support — Multilingual ballot presentation as required by law COMPLIANT Support for 40+ languages with native fonts and right-to-left text rendering. Audio in multiple languages with native speaker recordings. Culturally appropriate iconography.

Usability Requirements

Intuitive interface design and user experience standards

Control ID Requirement Status Implementation Details
USE-1.1 Ballot Navigation — Clear navigation with progress indicators and review capabilities COMPLIANT Progress bar showing ballot completion status. Next/Previous navigation with keyboard shortcuts. Summary review screen before final submission with change capabilities.
USE-1.2 Error Prevention — System prevents and alerts users to potential voting errors COMPLIANT Real-time validation prevents overvotes and undervotes. Clear warnings for blank selections. Confirmation dialogs for irreversible actions. Smart forms prevent common input errors.
USE-2.1 Voter Instructions — Clear, accessible instructions throughout voting process COMPLIANT Context-sensitive help system with plain language instructions. Visual and audio tutorials available. Step-by-step guidance with optional detailed explanations.

Performance Requirements

System reliability, capacity, and response time standards

Control ID Requirement Status Implementation Details
PERF-1.1 Response Time — System responses within 3 seconds for 95% of operations COMPLIANT Average response time of 1.2 seconds with 99.9% of operations completing within 3 seconds. Optimized database queries and intelligent caching ensure consistent performance.
PERF-1.2 Concurrent User Capacity — Support expected peak voting loads COMPLIANT Horizontally scalable architecture supports 100,000+ concurrent users. Auto-scaling based on load patterns with 99.95% uptime SLA during elections.
PERF-2.1 Data Recovery — Recovery time objective of 30 minutes COMPLIANT Real-time replication to geographically distributed data centers. Automated failover with 99.9% data durability. Recovery time under 15 minutes with zero data loss.

Testing and Certification Requirements

Independent testing and validation procedures

Control ID Requirement Status Implementation Details
TEST-1.1 Functional Testing — Comprehensive functional testing by accredited test labs ⏳ PLANNED VSTL engagement planned for Q3 2026 — independent testing by EAC-accredited Voting System Test Laboratory not yet initiated. Internal test suite complete with documented test cases.
TEST-1.2 Security Testing — Penetration testing and vulnerability assessment COMPLIANT Annual penetration testing by certified ethical hackers. Continuous vulnerability scanning and security audits. Public bug bounty program with responsible disclosure process.
TEST-2.1 Documentation Requirements — Complete technical documentation and user manuals COMPLIANT Comprehensive documentation including system architecture, security protocols, user manuals, and administrator guides. All documentation updated with each software release.

Questions About VVSG 2.0 Compliance?

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