Category Overview

Communications — Election Security Glossary

53 election security terms in the Communications category, with definitions sourced from NIST, CISA, EAC, and 30+ authoritative documents.

Browse all 53 terms in Communications

Spam

Electronic junk mail or the abuse of electronic messaging systems to indiscriminately send unsolicited bulk messages.

Medium consensus6 sources

Protocol

A precise set of rules by which two or more computers exchange information.

Medium consensus5 sources

Telecommunications

The preparation, transmission, communication, or related processing of information (writing, images, sounds, or other data) by electrical, electromagnetic, electromechanical,…

Low consensus5 sources

Wireless

Communication performed without the use of electrical wires between source and destination.

Medium consensus4 sources

Bit Error Rate

Ratio between the number of bits incorrectly received and the total number of bits transmitted through a communications channel.

Low consensus3 sources

Code

1. A set of instructions for a computer.

Medium consensus3 sources

End To End Encryption

Communications encryption in which data is encrypted when being passed through a network, but routing information remains visible.

Medium consensus3 sources

Accounting Legend Code (alc)

A numeric code used to indicate the minimum accounting controls required for items of accountable COMSEC material within the COMSEC material control system (CMCS).

Medium consensus2 sources

Anti Jam

The result of measures to resist attempts to interfere with communications reception.

Low consensus2 sources

Automatic Remote Rekeying

Procedure to rekey distant cryptographic equipment electronically without specific actions by the receiving terminal operator.

Medium consensus2 sources

Bulk Encryption

Simultaneous encryption of all channels of a multi-channel telecommunications link.

Medium consensus2 sources

Common Carrier

In a telecommunications context, a telecommunications company that holds itself out to the public for hire to provide communications transmission services.

Medium consensus2 sources

By ESG Editorial Team · Drawing on EAC, CISA, professional associations, and 25+ sources on election communications

Election communications covers the public messaging, official notices, and information flows that surround an election. It includes voter outreach (registration deadlines, polling place locations, what to bring on election day), official communications during and after the election (results release, certification announcements, incident disclosures), and the information environment that election officials operate within.

Why this category matters for election security is that the public's trust in an election depends in part on the quality of communication around it. Confusing communications, late disclosures, or inconsistent messaging can undermine confidence even when the underlying procedures are sound. Conversely, clear, timely, and consistent communication can strengthen public trust even when problems occur.

Election communications also have a defensive dimension. The information environment around an election is a venue for influence operations, misinformation, and disinformation. Defending that environment requires accurate, well-timed, and well-targeted official communications that reach voters through the channels they actually use.

The terminology in this category covers both the work of communicating with the public and the work of defending the information environment. The concepts here are practical. They describe the work of getting accurate information to voters and supporting media coverage.

How These Terms Relate

These concepts together describe the discipline of election communications. The terminology covers both the operational work of getting information to voters (voter education, voter notifications) and the responsive work of communicating with the public during and after elections (election night reporting, official statements). The unifying theme is that communication is part of administration, not separate from it. How an election office communicates is part of how the election itself is conducted.