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

Code

1. A set of instructions for a computer.

Medium consensus3 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

Communications Cover

See cover (TRANSEC).

Low consensus2 sources

Communications Profile

Analytic model of communications associated with an organization or activity.

High consensus2 sources

Communications Security

(COMSEC) A component of Information Assurance that deals with measures and controls taken to deny unauthorized persons information derived from telecommunications and to ensure…

Medium consensus2 sources

Comsec Account

An administrative entity identified by an account number, used to maintain accountability, custody and control of COMSEC material.

Medium consensus2 sources

Comsec End Item

Equipment or combination of components ready for use in a COMSEC application.

Medium consensus2 sources

Comsec Equipment

Equipment designed to provide security to telecommunications by converting information to a form unintelligible to an unauthorized interceptor and, subsequently, by reconverting…

Medium consensus2 sources

Comsec Incident

Any occurrence that potentially jeopardizes the security of COMSEC material or the secure transmission of national security information.

Low consensus2 sources

Comsec Insecurity

A COMSEC incident that has been investigated, evaluated, and determined to jeopardize the security of COMSEC material or the secure transmission of information.

Medium consensus2 sources

Comsec Material

Item(s) designed to secure or authenticate telecommunications.

Medium consensus2 sources

Comsec Monitoring

The act of listening to, copying, or recording transmissions of one's own official telecommunications to provide material for analysis in order to determine the degree of security…

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.