Conformity Magazine - October 2008 - (Page 21)

lot has changed in voting system certification since the 2000 presidential election. Those changes have now come to the place where more of the same will start doing more harm than good. Fundamental and needed changes in how voting systems are tested, certified and safeguarded have been made in the past 8 years. However, further improvements in total election accuracy, security, reliability and usability will require new approaches. The changes that have been made are now having their effect on the certification process. Much can be learned by reviewing the current state of the system. Where the desired effect is being delivered, there are usually ways to refine the process and further enhance the outcomes. Where there are unintended consequences, modifications and adjustments are needed to avoid those negative and unintended consequences coming from needed changes. Few systems improve by linearly extending what has been done in the past indefinitely. As the first round of changes made in response to the 2000 presidential election are making their impact, further improvements are seldom obtained by simply “doing more of the same.” A next generation of improvements will come from innovations in new directions. Part 1 of this article, which was published in the June issue of Conformity, looked at the changes that have been made, and where the U.S. system for certifying voting systems stands today. It analyzed the benefits that have been brought, but also the negative unintended consequences that could occur by simply doing more of the same. To gain further improvements in elections, new approaches are needed to retain the benefits gained so far and to take the system to the next level of accuracy and security. So Part 2 of this article will explore the most promising new approaches that could further extend the benefits achieved so far. Mutually Supportive Processes One clear area for improvement is to analyze the different processes which currently operate largely in isolation, and coordinate them more effectively. Currently too many principle players operate in relative isolation. There is potential for significant benefit through enhanced coordination, so as to align efforts from different processes to be mutually supportive and increase the value they make to each other. A principle cooperation exists between the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) under the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Election Assistance Commission’s (EAC’s) Certification Program. NVLAP has the responsibility to assess and recommend laboratories to the EAC for accreditation. It then is responsible to monitor those laboratories’ ongoing compliance with ISO Guide 17025, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. A In a nutshell, NVLAP is responsible for assuring that voting system test laboratories (VSTLs) have the ability to do a good job. The EAC on the other hand is responsible for reviewing the test plans, test reports and recommendations for system certification coming from the laboratories. The EAC decides whether to certify a voting system, and it relies on the testing at the VSTLs to make that determination. The EAC must examine the work product of the VSTLs and decide if it is up to expectations. Clearly, there is a lot to be gained by assuring that the assessment of a VSTLs ability to do good work, and the ultimate quality of the work it does produce is tightly coupled and using a common set of quality metrics. Figure 1 illustrates the documentation each lab develops as part of its original accreditation. ISO Guide 17025 can be divided into two major sections. Laboratories are required to have test methods, adequately trained personnel, and the appropriate equipment to perform all testing within their scope of accreditation. Then, each lab is responsible for having documented laboratory management and quality processes to assure the ongoing consistency and quality of their work. Figure 2 illustrates how this body of documentation is applied to every individual voting system to be evaluated. Specific test cases must be developed that properly apply the general test methods, and taken together, assure the complete and thorough evaluation of the voting system. Metalized Fabric Gaskets Less Than 3% Compression Set Tech-Etch manufactures a wide range of RoHS compliant metalized fabric gaskets providing excellent shielding effectiveness with very low compression forces. Shielding effectiveness of over 100 dB Nickel plating over copper substrate Surface resistivity < .02 Ohms Easy installation with Stick-on mounting Superior galvanic compatibility extends life Free Samples at www.tech-etch.com/shield ISO 9001:2000 REGISTERED TECH-ETCH, INC., 45 Aldrin Road, Plymouth, MA 02360 oCtober 2008 Conformity 21 http://www.tech-etch.com/shield http://www.tech-etch.com/shield

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Conformity Magazine - October 2008 Contents Editor's Note FCC Releases Annual Report on National Do-Not-Call Registry Commission Cracks Down (for the Fourth Time!) On Junk Fax Marketer FCC Releases Quarterly Reports on Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Greenpeace Ranks Electronics Manufacturers Standards List For The EU’s Energy Consumption Directive Published EU Commission Publishes Standards List for Directives on Pressure Equipment, Pressure Vessels Standards List for the EU’s Medical Devices Directive Available The IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society: The First Five Years ESD Open Forum Improving Election Security and Accuracy: The Future of Voting System Certification Conformity Assessment and Accreditation: Their Role in the Global Market Design Issues in Extreme EMC Environment Focus On... Test Equipment Buyers Guide Product News Updated Standards List for EU Directive on Active Implantable Medical Devices FDA Warns of Effects from CT Scans on Electronic Medical Devices FDA Provides Report Card on Its PMA Review Process CPSC Releases Import Safety Strategy Other CPSC Actions in the News IEC Standards Update Product Reviews UL Standards Update Telcordia Standards Update From Our “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” Department Looking Back: Items from Past Issues of Conformity Advertisers

Conformity Magazine - October 2008

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