Built for elections that hold up
vote.direct documents practices informed by NIST, SOC 2, and OWASP. State-specific rule checks, tamper-evident audit trails, and privacy controls help organizations build a stronger election record.
Tamper-evident by design
Election events are cryptographically linked, exportable, and independently checkable
Tamper-Evident Audit Trail
Every vote event is recorded with a SHA-256 cryptographic hash chain. Each entry links to the previous, making retroactive modification mathematically detectable.
Multi-Level Voter Verification
Email, phone (SMS), and optional government-issued ID checks provide different levels of identity assurance. Eligibility depends on the organizer's roster and rules.
Ballot Secrecy & Anonymity
Choose per election: Anonymous mode keeps individual votes private from your board, candidates and other members, or Sealed ballots store each ballot with no link to the voter at all (permanent separation, built for Cal. Civ. Code §5110(c)(4)(B)(iv) and Fla. Stat. §718.128(2)(d)). Privacy thresholds prevent premature result disclosure.
State-Specific Configuration Checks
The built-in engine checks selected configuration fields against cited rules for CA, FL, TX, CO, AZ, and NV. It cannot verify offline steps or governing documents.
Framework mappings
Security practices informed by industry-standard frameworks
NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0
We organize our internal control inventory around the six CSF functions. This is a self-assessment, not a NIST certification.
Read the source framework for NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0- Role-based access control with four-tier organization permissions
- Database row-level security enforcing data isolation
- Rate limiting on authentication, voting, verification, and other sensitive endpoints
- Real-time exception monitoring and alerting
- Automated data cleanup crons for expired records
NIST SP 800-53 (Select Controls)
Selected engineering controls are mapped to relevant control families; vote.direct has not been assessed as a federal information system.
Read the source framework for NIST SP 800-53 (Select Controls)- AC: Middleware auth gates, RLS policies, org membership verification
- AU: SHA-256 hash chain audit log with database triggers
- IA: Email, phone, and assisted government-ID verification options
- SC: TLS in transit, managed encryption at rest, and hashed lookup values
- SI: Structured validation on sensitive API inputs
SOC 2 Trust Service Criteria
Readiness work references the Trust Services Criteria. No SOC 2 report has been issued for vote.direct.
Read the source framework for SOC 2 Trust Service Criteria- Security: Auth middleware, RLS, webhook signature verification
- Availability: Automated cron jobs, health monitoring, graceful degradation
- Processing Integrity: Cryptographic hash chain, input validation, verification gates
- Confidentiality: Service-role isolation, hashed lookup fields, secret management
- Privacy: Anonymous-mode access controls, sealed ballots with permanent separation, account deletion, and a published privacy policy
OWASP Top 10 (2021)
The OWASP Top 10 informs code review and hardening. This is not an independent penetration-test result.
Read the source framework for OWASP Top 10 (2021)- A01 Broken Access Control: RLS policies, ownership checks, org role enforcement
- A02 Cryptographic Failures: TLS, managed encryption, secret-management practices
- A03 Injection: Parameterized queries, strict input schema validation
- A07 Auth Failures: Rate-limited login, JWT sessions, server-side validation
- A08 Data Integrity: Webhook signature verification, hash chain audit
Privacy is not optional
Documented privacy controls, request paths, and explicit storage disclosures
Privacy Requests
The privacy policy describes access, correction, deletion, export, objection, and consent requests. Applicability and exceptions depend on the requester and record.
Hash-Assisted Matching
Normalized email and phone hashes support duplicate detection and roster lookup. Original contact values are also retained when needed for delivery and administration.
Account Deletion
An authenticated organizer can delete their votes, owned contacts, profile, and auth account. Other election records may remain when another organizer controls them or law requires retention.
Data Minimization
Organizers choose the verification level and the ballot-secrecy mode. Anonymous mode limits disclosure of the voter-to-ballot link and keeps it in restricted storage for product and integrity functions; Sealed ballot mode never stores that link at all.
Defense in depth
Multiple security layers from network to application to database
Encryption
TLS protects browser and service traffic in transit. Managed infrastructure provides encryption at rest.
Row-Level Security
Database-enforced access control ensures users can only query their own data. Service role isolated to admin operations.
Rate Limiting
Rate limits protect login, vote submission, verification, account deletion, and other sensitive routes.
Webhook Verification
Webhook signatures verified with separate secrets per endpoint. Cross-endpoint replay protection blocks misrouted events.
Error Monitoring
Centralized exception monitoring captures operational context, while sensitive routes return generic client-facing errors.
Input Validation
Sensitive inputs use schema or explicit server-side validation with length, format, range, and enum checks.
State-specific rule checks
Selected configuration checks backed by cited state rules, with the limits stated
California
Davis-Stirling Act
Automated configuration checks; offline inspector and notice steps remain
Official source for CaliforniaFlorida
FL Statutes Ch. 718/720
Automated configuration checks; consent, resolutions, and device tests remain
Official source for FloridaTexas
TX Property Code Ch. 209
Automated checks for selected notice, proxy, ballot, and eligibility fields
Official source for TexasColorado
CCIOA
Automated checks for selected quorum, proxy, notice, and ballot fields
Official source for ColoradoArizona
AZ Revised Statutes
Automated checks for selected notice, proxy, retention, and ballot fields
Official source for ArizonaNevada
NRS Chapter 116
Automated checks for selected notice, quorum, proxy, and ballot fields
Official source for NevadaMaryland
Chapter 512 (HB 1534 / SB 758)
Published statutory guidance; not currently in the automated rule engine
Official source for MarylandThese checks evaluate fields the software can see. They do not inspect governing documents, appoint independent people, prove notices were received, or replace legal review.
Assurance roadmap
Where we are and where we're headed
NIST CSF 2.0 Control Mapping
Internal mapping; not a NIST certification
OWASP Top 10 Review
Engineering checklist; not a penetration-test attestation
Privacy Request Controls
Published policy, request channel, and account-deletion workflow
SOC 2 Readiness
Control documentation underway; no report has been issued
SOC 2 Type II Examination
Independent examination planned as the company scales
ISO 27001 Certification
No certification currently held
Questions about our security?
We're transparent about how we protect your data. Reach out for our full security documentation or to discuss your compliance requirements.