Category Overview

Physical Security — Election Security Glossary

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

Browse all 23 terms in Physical Security

Seal

A security mechanism using strategically placed serialized or tamper-evident materials that alert officials if a device used in the elections process has potentially been altered…

Low consensus2 sources

Secure Receptacle

An object used to store and safeguard election material.

Low consensus2 sources

Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (scif)

An area, room, group of rooms, buildings, or installation certified and accredited as meeting Director of National Intelligence security standards for the processing, storage,…

Medium consensus2 sources

Shielded Enclosure

Room or container designed to attenuate electromagnetic radiation, acoustic signals, or emanations.

Medium consensus2 sources

Tempest Zone

Designated area within a facility where equipment with appropriate TEMPEST characteristics (TEMPEST zone assignment) may be operated.

Medium consensus2 sources

Two Person Control (tpc)

The continuous surveillance and control of material at all times by a minimum of two authorized individuals, each capable of detecting incorrect or unauthorized procedures with…

Medium consensus2 sources

U.s. Controlled Facility

A base or building, access to which is physically controlled by U.S.

Medium consensus2 sources

U.s. Controlled Space

A space (e.g., room or floor) within a facility other than a U.S.-controlled facility, access to which is physically controlled by U.S.

Medium consensus2 sources

Voting Booth

An enclosed area in which a person stands for privacy while casting a ballot.

Low consensus2 sources

Zone Of Control

Three dimensional space surrounding equipment that processes classified and/or controlled unclassified information (CUI) within which TEMPEST exploitation is not considered…

Medium consensus2 sources

Key

1. A physical key for locking and unlocking voting machines, ballot boxes and other equipment for storing election materials.

Medium consensus1 source

By ESG Editorial Team · Drawing on CISA physical security guidance, EAC checklists, and 25+ sources on election facility security

Physical security covers the measures that protect election facilities, equipment, and materials from physical threats. A locked ballot box, a tamper-evident seal on a tabulation machine, a badge reader at a warehouse door, a camera watching a ballot storage area. These controls exist because some threats are not digital. Some are doors, windows, forklifts, and people with bad intentions.

Why this category matters for election security is that the most carefully encrypted ballot is still vulnerable if someone can walk into an unsecured office and swap a USB drive. The layers of security in modern election administration are designed to work together: digital controls assume physical controls are in place, and physical controls assume procedures are documented and followed.

Chain of custody is the central concept. A ballot that is physically secure from the moment it is printed to the moment it is counted has a stronger evidentiary foundation than one whose journey is uncertain. Tamper-evident seals, signed transfer forms, video surveillance, and two-person handling are all designed to make any attempt at interference visible.

The terminology in this category reflects both the physical controls themselves (locks, cameras, seals) and the procedural documentation that makes them effective. Each term is a small piece of a system designed to ensure that what voters put in the box is what gets counted.

Key Concepts

Physical Security

The measures that protect election facilities, equipment, and materials from physical interference.

Chain Of Custody

The documented sequence of possession and transfer for ballots, equipment, and records.

Secure Storage

Locked, monitored, and access-controlled storage for ballots, voting equipment, and election records between elections.

How These Terms Relate

These concepts together describe the physical infrastructure that protects election materials and equipment. Physical security is older than digital security and has been refined over centuries of work with sensitive documents. The terminology here draws on that lineage while adapting it to the specific demands of election administration. The unifying principle is the same one that governs evidence handling in any legal proceeding: every interaction with a ballot or piece of equipment should leave a clear record, and any break in that record should be visible.