Direct Recording Electronic Voting System

Primary definition

"'Direct-recording electronic voting system' means a voting system that records votes by means of a ballot display provided by electro-optical devices that allows a voter to directly enter choices into electronic storage with the use of a touchscreen or other data entry device. An alphabetic keyboard may be employed as an entry device to facilitate voting for write-in candidates. A voter's choices are stored in the direct-recording electronic voting system's internal memory devices and added to the choices of all other voters." N.D.C.C. §16-1-06- 12(4). A "[v]oting system that records votes by means of a ballot display provided with mechanical or electro-optical components that can be actuated by the voter, that processes the data by means of a computer program, and that records voting data and cast vote records in internal and/or external memory components. It produces a tabulation of the voting data stored in a removable memory component and/or in printed copy." 2005 VVSG V.1, APPENDIX A. The "total combination of mechanical, electromechanical or electronic equipment, programs and practices used to define ballots, cast and count votes, report or display election results, maintain or produce any audit trail information, identify all system components, test the system during development, maintenance and operation, maintain records of system errors and defects, determine specific system changes to be made to a system after initial qualification, and make available any materials to the voter such as notices, instructions, forms or paper ballots." Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/24C-2.

Also known asDRE · DRE voting system · direct-recording electronic · direct record electronic · DRE machine · electronic voting machine · touchscreen voting system · ballot marking device · BMD
1 sources cited4 related termsReviewed Aug 9, 2026
Electronic Voting GlossaryView source

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Carnegie Mellon University

"'Direct-recording electronic voting system' means a voting system that records votes by means of a ballot display provided by electro-optical devices that allows a voter to directly enter choices into electronic storage with the use of a touchscreen or other data entry device. An alphabetic keyboard may be employed as an entry device to facilitate voting for write-in candidates. A voter's choices are stored in the direct-recording electronic voting system's internal memory devices and added to the choices of all other voters." N.D.C.C. §16-1-06- 12(4). A "[v]oting system that records votes by means of a ballot display provided with mechanical or electro-optical components that can be actuated by the voter, that processes the data by means of a computer program, and that records voting data and cast vote records in internal and/or external memory components. It produces a tabulation of the voting data stored in a removable memory component and/or in printed copy." 2005 VVSG V.1, APPENDIX A. The "total combination of mechanical, electromechanical or electronic equipment, programs and practices used to define ballots, cast and count votes, report or display election results, maintain or produce any audit trail information, identify all system components, test the system during development, maintenance and operation, maintain records of system errors and defects, determine specific system changes to be made to a system after initial qualification, and make available any materials to the voter such as notices, instructions, forms or paper ballots." Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/24C-2.

Electronic Voting Glossary · 2024

Cite this term

Permanent URL · stable across revisions
Election Security Glossary. (2026). Direct Recording Electronic Voting System. In Election Security Glossary. Retrieved August 13, 2026, from https://electionsecurityglossary.com/glossary/direct-recording-electronic-voting-system

Sources

1 cited · last checked Aug 9, 2026

01

Electronic Voting Glossary
Electronic Voting Glossary

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