Although the EAC continues to exist absent any commissioners, several of its chief functions cannot be completed. In particular, the adoption of updated Voluntary Voting System Guidelines, which would allow for technical innovation to modernize the nation’s outdated voting systems, requires a quorum of commissioners. As the Presidential Commission on Elections noted in their 2014 report:
"The standard-setting process for new voting machines has broken down. The federal standards in operation are now eight years old, and many states require by law that any voting machines used in their localities pass the applicable federal standards. Newer standards were proposed six years ago. Such standards can only be adopted, however, by the EAC, which, due to a lack of commissioners ... cannot."