Background

In 2018 several counties in the United States piloted elections using internet-connected devices for uniformed and overseas citizens and voters with disabilities. As a result of the successful pilots, various election officials have expressed the need for a method of certifying Remote Accessible Ballot Delivery Marking & Return (RABDMR) to support the wider implementations of remote voting solutions.

What We Are Doing

For that reason, the GBA has been working with elections experts for the past two years to support the analysis, implementation, and certification of Remote, Accessible, Ballot Delivery Marking & Return (RABDMR) solutions. The work has included:

• A study with industry experts to conduct a side-by-side comparison of remote ballot delivery, marking, and return methods. This study resulted from two public roundtable discussions we hosted on Digital Ballots. You can watch the events at the following links:
  • The Digital Ballot Debate
  • The Digital Ballot Debate Pt 2

We will be releasing this work over the next few weeks. The study is currently being reviewed by the study participants for final review and sign-off. Once approved, we will release it.

• The GBA has developed a set of recommendations and submitted a draft to the United States Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to extend the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) scope to enable certification RABMR solutions. Our recommendations to modify the VVVSG 2.0 are publicly available at  VVSG 2.0 RBDMRS Supplement v04 and we are seeking feedback on our Public Request For Feedback Form.
• The GBA Voting Working Group has resources about elections and blockchain. Please feel free to view the Videos, Voting Blogs, and Voting Events.

What’s Next

On July 13, the GBA is hosting a Local Election Official (LEO) Roundtable on the subject of remote voting. Election officials are invited to participate in a discussion of the comparative benefits and security considerations of various remote voting methods.

The GBA Voting Working Group is also working on next-generation standards for voting. These standards include the use of innovative technology throughout the lifecycle of an election. If you would like to join the discussion, please follow these simple steps:

Join the Government Blockchain Association (membership is free for civil servants) and then join the GBA Voting Working Group.