State Board Opens Public Comment Period on Certification of New Voting Equipment | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    Raleigh, N.C.     The State Board of Elections invites the public to comment on the proposed certification of a new voting system from Election Systems & Software (ES&S).

    In January 2023, ES&S requested certification of the EVS 6.3.0.0 Voting System. A voting system is the complete software and hardware solution for preparing, casting, and counting ballots. It includes ballot tabulators, ballot marking devices, and election management computers. Once a voting system is certified by the State Board, any county board of elections is permitted to procure that voting system for use in that county's elections.

    EVS 6.3.0.0 is an enhanced version of EVS 5.2.4.0, which is currently certified in North Carolina and used in many counties. Upgrades include enhanced security, new hardware - including an advanced tabulator (ballot scanner) - and additional functionality.

    The public comment period is one step in the process of the certification of new voting systems in North Carolina, as set forth in the State Board's Voting Systems Certification Program (PDF). After the public comment period closes, the State Board will vote on whether to certify the new voting system for use in North Carolina.

    How to Comment

    Members of the public may provide comments through 1 p.m. July 5, 2023, in the following ways:

• Online: Public Comment Portal
• Email: rulemaking.sboe@ncsbe.gov
• Mail: Attn: Rulemaking Coordinator, PO Box 27255, Raleigh, NC 27611-7255

    For more information on EVS 6.3.0.0, please visit the State Board's Pending Voting System Certifications page. For more information about voting equipment used in NC elections, please see Voting Equipment.

    The following steps remain in the certification process for EVS 6.3.0.0:

• The State Board will notify ES&S as to whether the public demonstration held Tuesday, June 27, 2023, met expectations.
• The public comment period runs through 1 p.m. July 5, 2023.
• After the public comment period, the State Board executive director will make a final recommendation to the State Board. The Board will consider whether to certify the voting system at a public meeting at a date and time to be determined.

    The following steps in the certification process have been completed:

• EVS 6.3.0.0 was certified by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC).
• In January 2023, ES&S requested state-level certification of EVS 6.3.0.0 Voting System and included required documents with their submission. This initiated the certification process for use of the system in North Carolina.
• ES&S provided a functional demonstration of the voting system to SBE staff on March 30, 2023.
• A procedural and technical evaluation, which includes a simulated election event, was conducted April 17-19, 2023, by Pro Verification & Validation (Pro V&V), a voting system test lab accredited by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Pro V&V issued its Test Report on May 2, 2023. It found that EVS 6.3.0.0 meets the requirements for voting systems in North Carolina.
• The State Board's executive director informed the State Board of the positive evaluation at a public meeting on June 2, 2023.
• A public demonstration of EVS 6.3.0.0 was conducted Tuesday, June 27, with State Board members and members of the public in attendance.

• Anita Bullock Branch
• Deputy Director
• Beaufort County Board of Elections
• 1308 Highland Drive, Suite 104 / PO Box 1016
• Washington, NC 27889
• Ph: 252.946.2321
• Fax: 252.974.2962