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Enhancing Election Data Interoperability with Common Data Format (CDF)

Learn about the importance of Common Data Format (CDF) in elections, its benefits, and potential applications. Explore how CDF can improve data sharing, testing automation, and transparency in election systems.

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Enhancing Election Data Interoperability with Common Data Format (CDF)

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Presentation Transcript

  1. Common Data Format (CDF) Update John P. Wack National Institute of Standards and Technology http://vote.nist.gov

  2. Outline What is a CDF? Why have one? What’s in the VVSGs? Charge from EAC Current plans

  3. Electronic Election Data Includes Voter registration data base (VRDB) information Ballot definition and presentation Voted ballot information Tabulated election results Election management system (EMS) information System logs, audit data Much of it in proprietary, disparate formats

  4. Common Data Format (CDF) An Extensible Markup Language (XML)-based format designed around the needs of elections Could be used as input into voting systems, e.g., from a VRDB that outputs in a CDF Could be used between devices, e.g., scanner could write data in a CDF to be read by an EMS Obviously, all must use the exact same CDF

  5. Potential Benefits of a CDF Voting devices from different manufacturers could interoperate An interoperable CDF could help automate testing, better constrain testing costs Could expand certification model to devices as opposed to entire system

  6. Could provide more transparency and audit capability to device operations Election jurisdictions could share data more easily with other DB’s, applications Could help bring potential manufacturers of specialty devices into the market Could open market to more manufacturers in general and empower election officials Potential Benefits of a CDF

  7. VVSG 1.0, 1.1 have no CDF requirements VVSG 2.0 requires non-proprietary formats but not a common format for Data exported/exchanged between systems Election programming, export of cast vote records Reports, audit data Has a SHOULD requirement: Manufacturers SHOULD use a common format across their product line and in general What the VVSGs Say…

  8. Charge from EAC Election Assistance Commission (EAC) interested in interoperability An interoperable CDF could help automate testing, better constrain testing costs Could open market to more manufacturers Could expand certification model to components as opposed to entire system Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC) to reference a CDF in VVSG 2.0 TGDC/NIST to develop CDF specifications to assist Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) for electronic blank ballot delivery

  9. Work with P1622 to produce 1622.x standards, reference them in EAC VVSGs Assist in developing ‘use case’ documents and eventual schemas Work with FVAP in UOCAVA areas NIST/IEEE developing use case, eventual schemas for a 1622.x UOCAVA CDF specification by Summer 2011 Need to decide on a format to use as basis for use case development Could develop reference implementations for 1622.x standards to facilitate adoption, testing Goal – develop and recommend a draft CDF standard by 2012 NIST/IEEE Strategy

  10. Road Ahead Other use cases are under current development in P1622: Post-election tabulation auditing – Neal McBurnett Remote ballot printing for UOCAVA – Arthur Keller Interoperability – Ian Piper Need to develop a timeline and prioritized list of use cases

  11. Use Case Timeline Other use cases include… Voter registration DB export Electronic pollbook interfaces Device event logging Cast ballot record EMS tabulation P1622 and TGDC to debate, prioritize Important to make wise decisions so as to maximize CDF usage

  12. Discussion

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