View as a webpage  /  Share

After serving the EAC for seven years, Commissioner Donald Palmer departed the agency on April 30. In a joint statement, EAC Chairman Thomas Hicks, Vice Chair Christy McCormick, and Commissioner Ben Hovland said:

 “Commissioner Palmer has been an important part of the EAC’s leadership and contributed significantly to the agency’s growth…Throughout his tenure, he helped expand the agency’s work to strengthen the security of voting systems and election technology… He leaves a lasting legacy in this chapter of the EAC’s history.”

The appointment process for EAC Commissioners is detailed in Section 203 of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). Commissioner Palmer’s biography is available on the EAC’s website.

This month, the EAC is highlighting:

The EAC Holds 2026 Annual Board Meetings in Chicago and DC

Last month, the EAC gathered about 150 state and local election officials in Chicago, Illinois, for the Local Leadership Council (LLC) and the Standards Board 2026 annual meetings. The following week, the EAC hosted the Board of Advisors 2026 Annual Meeting in its Washington, DC hearing room.

During these meetings, members discussed election technology, workforce development, and voter education and engagement. Federal election partners from the FBI, USPS, and USPIS provided updates and highlighted resources to Standards Board members. EAC Commissioners and staff also led discussions on the testing and certification of voting systems, communications tools, training, improvements to the Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS), and more. 

Thank you to everyone who joined these meetings, contributed valuable feedback, and made them a success!

The EAC Honors U.S. Servicemembers During Military Appreciation Month

According to the EAC’s Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS) Comprehensive Report, about 542,000 uniformed service members were registered to vote while stationed overseas during the 2024 general election.

EAC Commissioners speak to veterans at Vet the Vote events. Photo Credit: Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (Second Photo)

In recognition of Military Appreciation Month, the EAC Commissioners issued a joint statement honoring our service members.

EAC Resources for Election Officials to Support Military and Overseas Voters

Military voters and their families face unique challenges, including international mail delays, frequent relocations, and limited access to voting resources. Election officials can help overcome these barriers with clear communication, partnerships, and proactive outreach to ensure military voters can successfully participate in elections, no matter where they serve. Check out these EAC resources to help:

Best Practices for Serving Military Voters: This one-pager gives an overview for election officials on how to serve military voters and their families. Pocket Guide for Serving Military and Overseas Voters: This printable guide, created with the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), covers responsibilities for election officials under UOCAVA. EAC Learning Lab: UOCAVA: This EAC Learning Lab training, estimated to take less than 10 minutes, explains the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act or UOCAVA. It is also available to the public on the EAC’s YouTube Channel.

FVAP Toolkits to Help Election Officials Engage Military & Overseas Voters

The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) offers toolkits that election officials and others may use to help service members, their families and overseas citizens vote absentee. These may be customized and published on websites, blogs, social media and other digital channels. Please contact FVAP if you would like assistance sharing this information, experience any issues downloading the files or would like to request additional materials.

New USPS Video on Postmarking to Educate Voters  

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) released a short video to educate the public on postmarks. For example, the date and location on a postmark is usually applied at a mail processing facility. This may not always align with when or where mail was dropped in a collection box or handed to a carrier.

This video may be helpful to election officials to share with their communities and voters planning to vote by mail. It is available, along with more information, at USPS's Election Mail website.

EAC Election Technology Updates

New Field Services Report on Benton County, Washington 

The Field Services team is available to provide on-site and virtual support for observation of voting system acceptance, state-level certification, hash validation, logic and accuracy testing, risk-limiting audits, training, and more.

The EAC recently published a report and a one-page report on the Field Services team's review of Benton County's voting system in Washington. This was done in partnership with the Washington Secretary of State Elections Division.

In the EAC's Field Services' Hash Validation reviews, every fielded system was found to contain the certified software on the machine. View this and other Field Services reports on the EAC's website.To schedule a visit for your office, contact fieldservices@eac.gov.

Third Electronic Poll Book is Now Certified 

On April 20, the EAC certified a third electronic poll book, KNOWiNC's Poll Pad 4.2.1, to the Voluntary Electronic Poll Book Certification Requirements (VEPBCR 1.0). There is currently one electronic poll book undergoing testing. More information is available on the EAC's website. 

EAC’s New Hand Count Workload Calculator

Planning Tool Simulates the Counting Process

The Hand Count Workload Calculator is designed to help election officials estimate the resources needed to conduct a hand count of ballots, whether for initial tabulation, an audit, or a recount.

This tool simulates the counting process based on the number of ballots to be counted, the content of those ballots, and the resources available to complete the count (staff or time). The tool provides “default” time estimates for counting an “average” ballot, and also allows users to enter custom timing data, if available. 

Updated EAC Election Official Social Media Toolkit Now Available!

The EAC has updated the Election Official Social Media Toolkit to help election offices communicate proactively and consistently with voters this election season. It includes customizable graphics and post text themed across categories from “Voter Registration Deadlines” and “Voting Options” to “Voting Security” and “Election Results.”

Check out the new graphics, hashtag guide, social media best practices, and more in the toolkit.  

Accessibility Training to Help Election Offices with Newly Extended ADA Rule

The EAC has released a memo on the Department of Justice's one-year extension to the compliance dates for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II Web and Mobile Application Accessibility Rule. This requires all state and local office web content and mobile applications be accessible to people with disabilities. To support election officials, the EAC developed a Learning Lab training on Web and Mobile Accessibility and a one-pager based on the online training. Election officials can sign up to take it at no cost, at eac.gov/learninglab. State or local governments with a population of 50,000 or more must comply with ADA Title II by April 26, 2027. Local governments with smaller populations now have until April 26, 2028. Additional guidance is available on the ADA website.

Clearinghouse Awards 10th Anniversary: Winners Spotlight

Guam Election Commission, 2022 Clearie Award Winner

In the latest blog post, the EAC features the Guam Election Commission’s 2022 Clearinghouse Award for “Best Practices in Recruiting, Retaining, and Training Poll Workers.”  Executive Director Maria Pangelinan discusses the office’s winning program, which partnered with the University of Guam Public Administration Degree Program to recruit poll workers for the 2022 general election.

The 2026 Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS) is Open for Public Comments

The EAC is accepting a final round of public comments on the draft 2026 EAVS and Policy Survey. We are looking for feedback on: - Ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents - Any additional feedback on the survey itself - Whether the survey questions and instructions are clear - What questions should be added or removed - Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected Written comments must be submitted on or before May 25, 2026.

Were you forwarded this newsletter? Sign Up Here