An Independent Testing Authority (ITA) is a laboratory certified by the United States-based National Association of State Election Directors

National Association of State Election Directors

The National Association of State Election Directors is a U.S. association that "was formed in 1989 when a group of state election directors and administrators met in Reno, Nevada...

 (NASED) to test voting systems to the Voting System Standards (VSS) or the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines

Voluntary Voting System Guidelines

The Voluntary Voting System Guidelines are guidelines adopted by the United States Election Assistance Commission for the certification of voting systems...

 (VVSG) in the process of certifying voting systems

Certification of voting machines

Various governments require a certification of voting machines.In the United States there is only a voluntary federal certification for voting machines and each state has ultimate jurisdiction over certification, though most states currently require national certification for the voting...

. The Election Assistance Commission has taken over the responsibility for accrediting such laboratories and now uses the National Institute of Standards and Technology

National Institute of Standards and Technology

The National Institute of Standards and Technology , known between 1901 and 1988 as the National Bureau of Standards , is a measurement standards laboratory, otherwise known as a National Metrological Institute , which is a non-regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerce...

's National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program

National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program

National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program is a National Institute of Standards and Technology program which provides an unbiased third-party test and evaluation program to accredit laboratories in their respective fields to the ISO 17025 standard...

. Under the EAC process, ITA's are now known as Voting System Testing Laboratories (VSTLs).