Voting System Technical Oversight Program (VSTOP)

The Voting System Technical Oversight Program (VSTOP) is an organization that was created by the Indiana Election Division in 2006 as a result of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) in 2002. The purpose of the HAVA legislation was to improve election administration on the state-level and replace outdated voting systems, by providing funding to states. Indiana quickly became unique in this regard, as our state used the funds to initiate a partnership with Ball State University, where individuals from various higher educational backgrounds could contribute to a discussion on election practices. The VSTOP team advises the Indiana Secretary of State and the Indiana Election Commission on the certification of voting machines and electronic poll books. VSTOP helped pioneer first-in-the-nation legislation authorizing the certification and testing of electronic poll books in Indiana.  Post-Election Audits are conducted by the VSTOP team to confirm the accuracy of voting systems and tabulation following elections.  A database containing all voting equipment in use in Indiana is maintained by VSTOP.  The VSTOP team also provides training to local election officials on the current best practices in election administration.

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