The Trump administration is blocking appointments to the Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC), the 15-member federal panel established under the Help America Vote Act that develops standards for voting equipment certification nationwide.
New Mexico election director Mandy Vigil announced her pending TGDC appointment was rejected by NIST without explanation. The U.S. Access Board also had an appointee rejected. Nearly half the committee's positions are now vacant — unprecedented in the committee's 20-year history.
NIST's acting director Craig Burkhardt, who chairs the TGDC, is a Republican National Lawyers Association member and former GOP aide.
Without a functioning TGDC, there is no body to update the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) used to certify election equipment — potentially leaving vulnerable voting machines in service without updated security standards ahead of the 2026 midterms.
This fits a broader pattern: the FY2027 budget eliminates CISA's election security program entirely, and the DOJ is 0-for-5 in lawsuits demanding voter roll data from states.
Note: This story is primarily single-sourced from Democracy Docket. The Federal Register confirms TGDC vacancies were posted in March 2026, and Government Executive has covered the broader election security overhaul, but the specific appointment rejections have not been independently confirmed by a second major outlet.