U.S. Election Assistance Commission
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission is the only federal agency solely focused on election administration, developing voting system certification standards (VVSG) and serving as the national clearinghouse for 8,000+ state and local election jurisdictions. It is funded by federal appropriations and distributes HAVA grants, training, toolkits, and research resources at no cost.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersSilver Spring, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What U.S. Election Assistance Commission does
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is an independent, bipartisan federal agency established by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, headquartered in Washington, DC. It is the only federal agency solely focused on election administration, operating with a small staff (11-50) under a four-Commissioner governance structure appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Its core mandate covers three functional pillars: (1) developing federal voting system standards through the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0), (2) testing and certifying voting systems via the Testing & Certification (T&C), Election Supporting Technology Evaluation Program (ESTEP), and Field Services (FSP) programs at accredited Voting System Test Labs, and (3) serving as the national clearinghouse for election administration information, distributing toolkits, guides, training, and research to all 50 states, four territories, and DC.
The EAC's product portfolio is best understood as a curated suite of programs and resources rather than a unified software product. Major offerings include the EAC Learning Lab (now offering professional certification), the biennial Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS), the Accessible Voting Technology Initiative (AVTI), 26 Quick Start Guides, Election Management Guidelines spanning 19 chapters, Language Access Resources with 1,843+ translated election terms in 20+ languages, Election Security Preparedness resources co-developed with CISA, and the National Clearinghouse Awards (Clearies) program recognizing innovation across nine categories. Technology outputs include the Election Security Risk Profile Tool (joint with CISA), the Accessible Voting Machines Calculator (with the University of Rhode Island), and an AI Toolkit for Election Officials addressing AI-generated content risks.
The EAC does not operate a commercial business model and generates no revenue. All resources, training, and certification services are provided free of charge to election officials and voters. Funding flows from annual federal appropriations, and the EAC administers HAVA grant programs that pass funds to states for election infrastructure, voting system upgrades, and cybersecurity measures. Customers are distributed across 8,000+ election jurisdictions, with primary segments being state and local election officials, voters (including UOCAVA military/overseas and voters with disabilities), and federal partners (CISA, NIST, FVAP, DOJ, DHS). The EAC's value proposition rests on its unique statutory authority as the sole federal standards body for voting systems and as the mandated clearinghouse, supported by deep integrations with NIST, CISA, Mandiant, Rutgers University, and other partners.
U.S. Election Assistance Commission firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- Legal name
- U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- Website
- https://eac.gov
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The U.S. Election Assistance Commission is the only federal agency solely focused on election administration, developing voting system certification standards (VVSG) and serving as the national clearinghouse for 8,000+ state and local election jurisdictions. It is funded by federal appropriations and distributes HAVA grants, training, toolkits, and research resources at no cost.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
U.S. Election Assistance Commission industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Federal Election Administration
- NAICS
- Public Administration (92)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Electoral Support & Election Observation (BPADAGAA)
Keywords
Where U.S. Election Assistance Commission is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Silver Spring
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
U.S. Election Assistance Commission business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Federal Appropriations and HAVA Grants: The EAC is funded through annual federal appropriations and distributes Help America Vote Act (HAVA) grant funds to states for election administration improvements, voting system upgrades, and cybersecurity measures. The agency does not generate commercial revenue.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
U.S. Election Assistance Commission product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is an independent, bipartisan federal commission that serves as the national clearinghouse for election administration under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002. It develops Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG), operates testing and certification programs for voting systems, distributes HAVA grants to states, and provides professional training, toolkits, and accessibility resources to state and local election officials and voters.
Product overview
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is an independent, bipartisan federal agency that serves as the national clearinghouse for election administration. Rather than a unified software product, EAC offers a portfolio of programs and resources organized around core functions: voting system testing and certification (T&C, ESTEP, FSP), professional development (Learning Lab with certification, Quick Start Guides, Toolkits), research and data collection (EAVS surveys, Rutgers partnership studies), and resource dissemination (Clearinghouse Awards, VVSG guidelines, security resources). These offerings work together to support election officials across the entire election cycle—from equipment certification through security preparedness, accessibility, language access, poll worker training, and post-election auditing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Voting System Testing & Certification Program (T&C) Federal program that evaluates election hardware and software against Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) standards through testing at accredited Voting System Test Labs (VSTL).
- Election Supporting Technology Evaluation Program (ESTEP) Federal program providing testing, certification, and support for election-supporting technologies that assist in election administration.
- Field Services Program (FSP) Program that assists states and local jurisdictions in post-certification activities including systems verification and ongoing support for voting systems.
- Election Management Guidelines (EMG) Comprehensive guidelines covering 19 chapters to assist state and local election officials in effectively managing and administering elections, including security, accessibility, ballot building, and post-election audits.
- EAC Learning Lab Online platform providing free on-demand training on election administration topics, now offering professional certification for election officials completing the program.
- Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS) Comprehensive biennial survey collecting state-by-state data on election administration topics, serving as the most comprehensive nationwide data source on U.S. elections.
- National Clearinghouse Awards (Clearies) Annual awards program recognizing innovative election administration efforts across nine categories including Security, HAVA Grants, Communications, Contingency Planning, Accessibility, and Poll Workers.
- Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) Federal standards (VVSG 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0) against which voting systems are tested and certified, representing a forward-looking approach acknowledging evolving election technology landscapes.
- Accessible Voting Technology Initiative (AVTI) Initiative supporting accessibility research on transformative technologies for voters with disabilities, having produced over 45 solutions for assisting voters with disabilities.
- Quick Start Guides
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 330 jurisdictions covered under VRA language assistance requirements served with translated materials
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use U.S. Election Assistance Commission
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
U.S. Election Assistance Commission technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
U.S. Election Assistance Commission partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)coreEAC works jointly with CISA on election security initiatives including the Election Infrastructure Incident Response Communications Guide, quarterly Election Threat Intelligence Briefings with Mandiant, and the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC). CISA developed the Protecting U.S. Elections: A Cybersecurity Toolkit in partnership with EAC and distributes free cybersecurity services and tools for election officials.
- MandiantcoreEAC partners with Mandiant to host quarterly Election Threat Intelligence Briefings for election officials, IT, and cyber staff, covering observed cyber activity, threat landscapes, and strategic outlook for election security.
- Rutgers UniversitycoreEAC collaborates with Rutgers University researchers on studies analyzing voting experiences of voters with disabilities, including the 2020, 2022, and ongoing disability and voting accessibility studies conducted under HAVA's clearinghouse and research mandates.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)coreNIST co-develops the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) with EAC and provides technical support for UOCAVA remote electronic voting pilot programs. NIST contributes election terminology glossaries and security best practices documents for election officials.
- Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP)coreFVAP, part of the U.S. Department of Defense, works with EAC on military and overseas citizen voting (UOCAVA). The MOVE Act mandated that EAC and NIST provide guidelines and best practices to support FVAP's remote electronic voting pilot programs.
- Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL)minorEAC partnered with CTCL to offer no-cost online cybersecurity training for all election officials and election-related staff, delivered through CTCL's platform in three courses: Cybersecurity 101, 201, and 301.
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), FBI, and EACcoreJointly created the 2024 U.S. Federal Elections: The Insider Threat report outlining election security-related insider threat examples, potential scenarios, and mitigation recommendations for election officials.
- U.S. Department of JusticecoreEAC coordinates with DOJ on UOCAVA enforcement, voting rights provisions, and federal observer programs. DOJ provides legal context for Voting Rights Act language minority requirements and enforcement actions.
- MITREminorMITRE developed Recommended Security Controls for Voter Registration systems, providing actionable security controls for state and local governments maintaining voter registration systems.
- Center for Internet SecurityminorCIS publishes the Handbook for Election Infrastructure Security and developed the Election Infrastructure Assessment Tool (EIAT) to help election officials conduct security self-assessments.
- University of Rhode Island's Engineering for Democracy InstituteminorPartnership to develop the Accessible Voting Machines Calculator, helping election officials and policymakers determine optimal accessible voting machine deployment numbers for minimal wait times.
- National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)minorNCSL produces resources on election security state policies, exploring election processes and procedures, and identifying options for state legislators to improve election security.
- U.S. Census BureaucoreCensus Bureau determinations under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act publish which jurisdictions must provide language assistance. EAC uses Census data for language access designations and mapping.
- National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)minorEAC and NCSL jointly developed 'Helping America Vote: Election Administration in the United States 2024,' a comprehensive nonpartisan guide on how elections are managed across the country.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
U.S. Election Assistance Commission competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC): Run by the Center for Internet Security (CIS), it provides operational threat intelligence to election officials in partnership with EAC. Direct peer in the election-cybersecurity sub-segment where EAC's preparedness resources are distributed.
- Federal Election Commission (FEC): Independent federal agency that administers and enforces campaign finance law. It is the closest sister agency to the EAC in mission scope (federal elections) and structure (independent bipartisan commission), making it the most direct institutional peer.
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA): Federal agency co-developing election security resources and toolkits with EAC (e.g., Election Security Risk Profile Tool, Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative). Its election security subsector work makes it a co-functioning federal peer rather than a competitor.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): Co-develops the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) with EAC and supports UOCAVA pilots. NIST's standards co-development role places it in a directly comparable technical-standards capacity to EAC's core product.
- Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP): Department of Defense program responsible for absentee voting for Uniformed and Overseas Citizens. EAC and FVAP have a direct operational partnership on UOCAVA resources, making FVAP a tightly scoped peer in voter services for a specific population.
Regional players
- International IDEA: Intergovernmental organization supporting democratic elections and providing comparative data on election administration worldwide. Comparable to EAC's clearinghouse/methodology role but operating globally rather than U.S.-only.
Broad incumbents
- International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES): Nonprofit that provides technical assistance on election administration globally. Comparable to EAC in professionalizing election administration and producing practitioner-facing guidance, though focused on non-U.S. contexts.
- National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS): Nonpartisan professional association of state secretaries of state, many of whom are chief state election officials. Comparable as a national convener of the election official community and co-developer (with EAC and NCSL) of election administration guides.
- National Association of State Election Directors (NASED): Membership organization of state-level election directors that works closely with EAC on testing/certification and election administration best practices. Comparable to EAC in serving election officials but organized as a member-driven association rather than a federal agency.
Others
- Verified Voting: U.S. nonprofit advocating for verifiably secure election technology. Operates in an adjacent advocacy and standards-monitoring niche to EAC's certification and VVSG work, but does not deliver federal programs.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
U.S. Election Assistance Commission social profiles
Digital presenceU.S. Election Assistance Commission financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
U.S. Election Assistance Commission leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
U.S. Election Assistance Commission funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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U.S. Election Assistance Commission M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about U.S. Election Assistance Commission
What does U.S. Election Assistance Commission do?
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is an independent, bipartisan federal commission that serves as the national clearinghouse for election administration under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002. It develops Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG), operates testing and certification programs for voting systems, distributes HAVA grants to states, and provides professional training, toolkits, and accessibility resources to state and local election officials and voters.
Is U.S. Election Assistance Commission a public or private company?
U.S. Election Assistance Commission is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was U.S. Election Assistance Commission founded?
U.S. Election Assistance Commission was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is U.S. Election Assistance Commission based?
U.S. Election Assistance Commission is headquartered in Silver Spring, United States, in the North America region.
How does U.S. Election Assistance Commission make money?
One revenue line is on record: federal Appropriations and HAVA Grants.
Who are U.S. Election Assistance Commission's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC), Federal Election Commission (FEC), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP). International IDEA is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) and National Association of State Election Directors (NASED). Verified Voting is listed as an others.
Does U.S. Election Assistance Commission have an API?
No public API is recorded for U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
What industry is U.S. Election Assistance Commission in?
U.S. Election Assistance Commission's product category is Federal Election Administration. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAGAA, Electoral Support & Election Observation. Its NAICS code is 92.