Voting — Election Security Glossary
79 election security terms in the Voting category, with definitions sourced from NIST, CISA, EAC, and 30+ authoritative documents.
Browse all 79 terms in Voting
Vote By Mail
Method of casting ballots by which eligible voters are mailed ballots and information packets by the local jurisdiction.
Internet Voting
Internet voting refers to voting by returning a marked ballot through the use of a web portal, but also includes e-mailing voted ballots.
Overvote
A "condition of a voted ballot in which more votes have been cast for an ISSUE or OFFICE than the number of votes that the voter is la wfully entitled to cast." Minn.
Privacy
The ability to prevent others from determining how an individual voted.
Provisional Ballot
A ballot cast under the Help America Vote Act by a voter whose eligibility to vote is in question, to be counted only if the voter's eligibility is subsequently verified under…
Absentee Voting
The process of voting at other than at a polling place, usually by filling out a ballot and mailing or delivering it to an election authority.
Undervote
Occurs when the number of choices selected by a voter in a contest is less than the maximum number allowed for that contest or when no selection is made for a single choice…
Absentee Ballot
A ballot cast by a voter other than in-person on election day.
Approval Voting
An electoral system where each voter may select any number of candidates, and the winner is the candidate approved by the largest number of voters.
Audio Ballot
A version of a ballot presented in audio form for use by blind and visually impaired voters.
Ballot Instructions
Information provided to a voter that describes the procedures for marking the ballot.
Cast
The final action a voter takes in selecting contest options and irrevocably confirming their intent to vote as selected.
By ESG Editorial Team · Drawing on NIST, EAC, CISA, and 29 authoritative sources on election security
Voting encompasses the methods and mechanisms through which citizens exercise their fundamental right to participate in elections. It spans the diverse ways Americans can vote (early in person, by mail, provisionally, or from overseas) and the tools used to mark and record their choices. The terminology of voting reflects both legal structures, especially the Help America Vote Act of 2002, and the technical systems that translate voter intent into recorded votes.
Why this category matters for election security begins with a core principle: the security of an election depends on the ability to verify that votes are cast as intended and counted as cast. This requires three critical capabilities. First, accessibility. Voting systems must be usable by citizens with disabilities, including those with visual and mobility impairments, without compromising security. This is a mandate established by the Americans with Disabilities Act and HAVA. Second, voter verification. When ballots are marked electronically, voters must have the ability to review and confirm a voter-verifiable paper audit trail before their vote is recorded, ensuring they can detect and correct errors. Third, uniformity and transparency. Election officials, observers, and voters themselves must understand and be able to verify the procedures through which votes are cast and recorded.
The terminology in this category reflects the methods and safeguards that operationalize these principles. Absentee and mail voting require distinct security procedures compared to in-person voting, including signature verification and ballot tracking. Provisional ballots serve as a safeguard when voter eligibility is questioned. Accessibility accommodations must be integrated into every method of voting.
UOCAVA provisions extend these protections to military members and overseas citizens, who must be able to register, request, receive, and return ballots from remote locations, often under compressed timelines. The security challenges of remote voting are distinct from those of in-person voting, and the terminology that governs UOCAVA participation reflects those differences.
Key Concepts
Absentee Voting
A method of voting in which a registered voter casts a ballot outside the polling place, either in person during early voting or by mail, with identity verification.
Paper Ballot
A paper record of a voter's selections that the voter can personally inspect before the vote is recorded, enabling verification that electronic systems captured intent correctly.
Ballot Marking Device
Equipment that assists voters in marking choices and produces a paper record, designed to be accessible to voters with disabilities while maintaining a verifiable vote record.
Provisional Ballot
A ballot cast by a voter whose eligibility is uncertain at the time of voting, reviewed and counted during canvassing only if the voter is determined to be eligible.
Early Voting
An in-person voting method in which voters can cast ballots at designated polling locations before election day, expanding access and reducing day-of polling place congestion.
Overvote
A condition in which a voter marks more choices for a contest than allowed, resulting in an invalid vote that is rejected by the tabulation system.
Undervote
A condition in which a voter marks fewer choices for a contest than are available. A key indicator of potential ballot design problems or voter confusion.
Uocava
The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, enabling military members and citizens abroad to register and vote by absentee ballot with extended deadlines.
Electronic Ballot Delivery
The transmission of blank ballots to voters electronically, typically by email or web portal, enabling remote voters to receive their ballot without postal delays.
How These Terms Relate
These concepts describe the pathways through which citizens vote and the safeguards integrated into each method. Absentee and early voting methods expand access but require distinct security procedures, including identity verification, ballot tracking, and signature matching. Provisional ballots serve as a second-chance mechanism for voters whose eligibility is questioned, with eligibility verified during canvassing. UOCAVA voting extends these protections to overseas and military voters who must navigate postal and logistical barriers. The voting process itself creates accuracy risks: overvotes and undervotes can occur due to voter confusion or unclear ballot design. Ballot marking devices and voter-verifiable paper audit trails are the technical safeguards that detect and mitigate these risks, creating an auditable record that voters can inspect before committing their vote. Together, these concepts establish that secure voting is not a single procedure but a set of parallel pathways, each with its own verification requirements, all converging on a single principle: that every eligible voter's intent is accurately captured and preserved.
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