Category Overview

Voting Systems — Election Security Glossary

1,792 election security terms in the Voting Systems category, with definitions sourced from NIST, CISA, EAC, and 30+ authoritative documents.

Browse all 1,792 terms in Voting Systems

Mechanical Voting System

A "system of voting whereby a voter may cast his vote: 1.

Medium consensus1 source

Megaprofile

(ES&S) A for medium to large jurisdictions.

Medium consensus1 source

Member Of The Merchant Marine

One of the classes of voters entitled to the absentee voting provisions of UOCAVA.

Medium consensus1 source

Memory Chip

An integrated circuit chip used to hold election data such as ballot setup information, vote totals and/or RECORDS.

Medium consensus1 source

Memory Device

A removable storage medium on which and other election information CAST VOTE RECORDS can be retained.

Medium consensus1 source

Memory Device Transport Container

A receptacle designed for secure transport of a from a to a MEMORY DEVICE POLLING PLACE facility where will occur.

Medium consensus1 source

Memory Pack

A "device capable of storing electronically the totals of a precinct ballot counter." Ala.

Medium consensus1 source

Merchant Marine

See MEMBER OF THE MERCHANT MARINE.

Medium consensus1 source

Mercuri Method

A method of voting in which the voter has the opportunity to review a paper record of her vote before it is cast on electronic equipment.

Medium consensus1 source

Merged Ballot

A listing from more than one for ease of tabulation.

Medium consensus1 source

Messenger

"The county clerk may appoint messengers to deliver ballot boxes, poll books, keys, election supplies and other materials pertaining to the election." N.M.

Medium consensus1 source

Metal Seal

A "seal of high tensile strength that is approved by the secretary of state." Mich.

Medium consensus1 source

By ESG Editorial Team · Drawing on NIST, the EAC, VVSG, IEEE, and 30+ authoritative sources on voting system design and certification

Voting systems are the machines, software, and supporting infrastructure through which voters mark, cast, and have their ballots counted. The category includes optical scanners, ballot-marking devices, direct-recording electronic (DRE) systems, hand-marked paper ballots, and the back-end systems that aggregate results from precincts and report them to the public.

Why this category matters for election security is rooted in the trust voters place in the systems that record their intent. A voting system that loses votes, that miscounts, or that allows manipulation without detection undermines the legitimacy of the entire election. Conversely, a system that is well designed, well tested, and well understood by election officials produces results that withstand scrutiny even when contested. The work of building and maintaining that trustworthiness is continuous.

Federal testing and certification programs establish a baseline. The Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG), administered by the Election Assistance Commission, define the technical and security requirements a system must meet to be used in federal elections. State testing goes further in some cases, certifying specific configurations, requiring additional documentation, or limiting the use of particular system features. Once a system is in the field, the work of securing it continues through patch management, configuration control, and pre-election logic and accuracy testing.

The terminology in this category reflects the technical and procedural landscape that voting systems inhabit. The concepts here are not optional. Every term describes a system property that has been the subject of standards, recommendations, and in some cases federal law.

Key Concepts

Voting System

The integrated hardware and software used by voters to cast ballots and by election officials to count them.

Optical Scan

A voting system that reads marked paper ballots using optical sensors and counts the marks electronically.

Ballot Marking Device

A device that allows voters to mark their choices on an electronic interface, then prints a human-readable paper ballot.

Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail

A printed paper record produced simultaneously with an electronic vote, allowing the voter to confirm their choices before casting.

Cast Vote Record

The permanent record of a single vote as captured and stored by a voting system, in electronic and/or paper form.

Direct Recording Electronic

A voting system that records votes directly into electronic memory, with or without a contemporaneous paper record.

Voluntary Voting System Guidelines

The federal technical standards published by the EAC that define security, accuracy, and accessibility requirements for certified voting systems.

How These Terms Relate

These concepts together describe the technical core of how votes are cast and counted. A voting system is more than a single device. It is an integrated chain of hardware, software, and procedures that begins when a voter enters the booth and ends when results are reported. The terminology here covers that full chain. Optical scan, ballot-marking devices, DRE systems, and VVPAT each represent different points on a spectrum of automation and paper reliance. The choice between them is a policy decision shaped by jurisdiction, voter expectations, and the trade-offs between speed, accessibility, auditability, and security.