Election Markup Language
Election Markup Language (EML) is an XML-based standard to support end to end management of election processes. History of EML The OASIS Election and Voter Services Technical Committee, which met for the first time in May 2001, was chartered "To develop a standard for the structured interchange of data among hardware, software, and service providers who engage in any aspect of providing election or voter services to public or private organizations. The services performed for such elections include but are not limited to voter role[sic]/membership maintenance (new voter registration, membership and dues collection, change of address tracking, etc.), citizen/membership credentialing, redistricting, requests for absentee/expatriate ballots, election calendaring, logistics management (polling place management), election notification, ballot delivery and tabulation, election results reporting and demographics." To help establish context for the specifics contained in the XML schemas that make up EML, the Committee also developed a generic end-to-end election process model, initially based on work by election.com, whose CTO chaired the first meetings. This model identifies the significant components and processes common to elections and electoral systems, and describes how EML can be used to standardize the information exchanged between those components. The specification describes two complementary high-level process models of an election exercise, based on the human and technical views. The goal is to identify all the major steps involved in the process and the areas where data is to be exchanged or referenced. Then the messages and data formats detailed in the EML specifications themselves can be used to achieve the goals of open interoperability between system components around those processes. Overview of EML Voting is one of the foundations of democratic processes. In addition to providing for the orderly transfer of power, it also cements the citizen's trust and confidence in an organization or government when it operates efficiently. Access to standardized information in the voting process for voters as well as standardized data interchange can better facilitate verification and oversight for election procedures. Standards for clear, robust and precisely understood processes help promote confidence in the results. Election data interchange standardization fosters an open marketplace that stimulates cost effective delivery and adoption of new technology without obsolescing existing investments. However, traditional verification methods and oversight will continue to be vital, and in fact these things become more critical with the use of technology. A healthy democracy requires participation from citizens and continuous independent monitoring of processes, procedures and outcomes. The OASIS EML standard seeks to help facilitate transparency, access and involvement for citizens to the election process. The primary function of an electronic voting system is to capture voter preferences reliably and securely and then report results accurately, while meeting legal requirements for privacy. The process of vote capture occurs between 'a voter' (individual person) and 'an e-voting system' (machine). It is critical that any election system be able to prove that a voter's choice is captured correctly and anonymously, and that the vote is not subject to tampering, manipulation or other sources of undue influence. These universal