On July 10, 2025, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) announced a milestone years in the making: the first voting system has now been certified under the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) 2.0. With this certification—awarded to a system submitted by Hart InterCivic—VVSG 2.0 officially transitions from an aspirational blueprint to an operational reality for U.S. election administrators.
This moment provides the perfect opportunity to highlight how VVSG 2.0 is driving a new era of voter-centered election technology in the United States, turning long-standing principles into concrete, certifiable reality.
Central to this shift is VVSG’s long-standing principle that voters—not machines or procedures—are the most important actors on Election Day. Designing a system that ensures that every voter gets to cast their ballot and that their choice is accurately captured preoccupies election managers in any modern democracy. The Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) is an important framework that places voters at the center of election design.
More than a technical standard, VVSG embodies a philosophy that combines accessibility, security, and transparency to ensure elections serve the people.
The VVSG initiative traces its roots to the early 2000s, in the aftermath of the controversial 2000 U.S. presidential election. Issues with ballot counting, inconsistent machine performance, and accessibility challenges highlighted the urgent need for national standards. In response, the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 created the Federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC), tasked with overseeing election reforms and developing voluntary standards for voting systems. The first VVSG, released in 2005, focused on reliability, basic accessibility, and security, laying the foundation for a more uniform and trustworthy election process.
While early VVSG versions emphasized technical compliance, later iterations recognized that voter experience is equally critical. VVSG 1.1 and subsequent drafts expanded requirements for usability, accessibility, and transparency. Features like multilingual support, screen reader compatibility, and alternative input methods ensure that voters can cast ballots independently and confidently. By prioritizing the needs of real voters, the guidelines aim to reduce errors, shorten lines, and build confidence in electoral outcomes.
VVSG 2.0, the current standard, builds on these principles while integrating lessons from cybersecurity, usability research, and election audits. It requires voter-verifiable paper records, enabling independent audits and providing tangible evidence of every vote cast. Systems must meet strict security protocols, including encryption, access control, and secure software updates. Interoperability standards ensure machines from different vendors work seamlessly together, while modular designs allow jurisdictions to adopt new technologies without sacrificing integrity.
A concept closely associated with voter-centered design is software independence. This principle ensures that even if a system's software is compromised, the election outcome cannot be altered undetectably. VVSG 2.0 raises the bar for election system security and transparency by instituting software independence as a mandate. This pragmatic approach balances rigorous security with practical feasibility, making VVSG applicable across jurisdictions of varying sizes and resources.
The development of VVSG has always been collaborative. Election officials, technology vendors, accessibility experts, and security researchers contribute to shaping the standards, ensuring they address real-world needs. This inclusive approach reinforces a fundamental truth: elections gain legitimacy when the systems supporting them are transparent, secure, and inclusive.
From its origins responding to ballot controversies in 2000 to its current standards promoting security, accessibility, and auditability, VVSG gives shape to the principle that election technology must combine human-centered design with layered security measures to build a system serves democracy, not dictate it.
