B Terms — Election Security Glossary

The card has an embedded chip and other security features that could potentially provide a secure voter authentication mechanism for remote Internet voting in the future. The BC Services Card was laun…

1. Designation applied to encrypted information and the information systems, the associated areas, circuits, components, and equipment processing that information. See also RED.

Data that is protected by encryption so that it can be transported or stored without fear of compromise. Also known as encrypted data.

Voting.

The BALLOT ORIGINATION SOFTWARE SYSTEM, a product of HART INTERCIVIC, used to construct and manage an election database.

A backdoor refers to any method by which authorized and unauthorized users are able to get around normal security measures and gain high level user access (aka root access) on a computer system, netwo…

Typically unauthorized hidden software or hardware mechanism used to circumvent security controls. (CNSSI-4009) (NISTIR)

An undocumented way of gaining access to computer system. A backdoor is a potential security risk.

Password-hashing function based on the Blowfish cipher and presented at USENIX in 1999

Backtracking resistance is provided relative to time T if there is assurance that an adversary who has knowledge of the internal state of the Deterministic Random Bit Generator (DRBG) at some time sub…

A copy of files and programs made to facilitate recovery, if necessary.

A copy of files and programs made to facilitate recovery if necessary.

In Mississippi, a local election officer who keeps order at the polls.

The official presentation of all of the contests to be decided in a particular election. Either in paper or electronic format, the mechanism for voters to show their voter preferences.

The ability to mark, cast, and verify a ballot privately and independently.

The practice of tallying the number of voted, spoiled, damaged, provisional, emergency, unused and any other ballots and making sure that tally equals the number of ballots received.

A certificate, signed by an inspector of elections, attesting to the number of BALLOTS received, voted, unused and spoiled. Ala. Admin. Code 307-X-1-.12

“Initiation of a VOTING SESSION on a DRE or EBP such that the voter is presented with a BALLOT having the BALLOT CONFIGURATION specified by the VOTING CREDENTIALS.” 2007 VVSG.

A device “used to activate the ballot on a DRE or EBM. Typically an electronic pollbook or hand-held ballot ACTIVATION DEVICE.” 2007 VVSG.

The inability to link a ballot with the individual who cast it. Candidate

The combined apparatus consisting of the BALLOT TEMPLATE and BALLOT PAGES.

A bag equivalent to a BALLOT BOX for transporting ballots. Vt. Stat. §2499.

A group of individuals appointed, usually by local authorities and charged with control of elections and voting procedure.

A sealed container that holds ballots cast by voters.

An ELECTION OFFICIAL in the District of Columbia having custody of BALLOT BOXES. When DREs are used instead of physical ballots, the ballot box clerk is responsible for activating VOTING DEVICE for ea…

A card or a number of cards upon which are printed, or identified by reference to the ballot, the names of candidates for nomination or election to one or more offices or the ballot titles of one or m…

And votes cast on the ballot card for any offi ce exceed the number allowed by law, and any ballot card which is bent or damaged so that it cannot be properly counted by automatic tabulating equipment…

The final action a voter takes in selecting contest options and irrevocably confirming their intent to vote as selected. Examples include when a ballot has been deposited by the voter in the ballot bo…

The ability of a voter to review and change CONTEST CHOICES prior to casting a BALLOT on both interactive and OPTICAL SCANNERS. For optical scanners this also includes detection and reporting of MARGI…

The slot into which a BALLOT is fed to be read or scanned. Mont. Admin. Rules §44.3.1782(b).

An ELECTION OFFICIAL in the District of Columbia who issues BALLOTS to voters.

“In each county in the state, the clerk of the circuit court while holding such office, and two persons by him appointed, one from each of the two political parties which cast the largest and second l…

That portion of a POLLING LOCATION at which voters fill out BALLOTS. Ky. Rev. Stat. §117.255.

A term used by Election Systems & Software to refer to elemental elements of a ballot, including frame, office, candidate, question, response and text object.

Particular set of contests to appear on the ballot for a particular election district, their order, the list of ballot positions for each contest, and the binding of candidate names to ballot position…

A “container that is used for transporting and storing voted BALLOT.” Mich. Comp. Laws §168.14a(a). Cf. BALLOT BOX.

A post-election AUDIT to verify that the total number of votes recorded equals the total number of ballots cast. It is a “def ense against problematic behavior by the voting device computing the final…

Feature in a voting device that counts the votes cast in an election. This can also refer to a person who counts vote by hand.

The software logic that defines the combinations of voter choices that are valid and invalid on a given ballot and that determines how the vote choices are totaled in a given election.

The tendency of an optical scan ballot to curve, usually because of differential ABSORPTION on different sides of the ballot.

A list of contests and associated options that may appear on a ballot for a particular election.

A term used by Election Systems & Software for its proprietary database file containing ballot setup information.

The process of setting up all BALLOT STYLES needed for an election in a jurisdiction so they may be loaded onto voting machines. Also, the final machine-readable description of all ballot styles to be…

“Hardware and software required to define BALLOT LAYOUTS for an election and to prepare election-specific software and firmware.” Fla. VSS Appendix.

A description, name or formal title printed under a candidate's name on a ballot. May also include a candidate's political party or incumbent status.

The “template that covers the face of the Dir ect Recording Election Machine. Printed on the template are all candidates and BALLOT PROPOSITIONS to be voted upon.” Wyo. Rules §1.4(g).

The concrete presentation of the contents of a ballot or other information for the voter or election official appropriate to the particular voting technology being used.

A locked container, either indoor or outdoor, where voters can return an absentee ballot for collection directly by an election official.

A body that is authorize to produce DUPLICATE BALLOTS. “If BALLOTS which are voted by punching a card are used, the ballot duplicating board shall: 1. Receive damaged ballots, including ballots which …

The “process of making a true copy of valid votes from BALLOTS that may not be properly counted by the vote tallying system to blank ballots of the same type and style, or as directed by the canvassin…

The “electronic device by which the poll officers program the VOTER ACCESS CARD to authorize the voter to vote on the DRE units.” Ga. Rules §183-1-12-.02.

The “process of adding or covering marks or punches on an optical scan BALLOT to ensure that the electronic voting equipment will tally the votes on the ballot in the manner intended by the voter, or …

The official inner and outer envelopes used to transport absentee and mailed ballots.

Refers to processing a ranked choice voting contest on a cast ballot, when that ballot becomes inactive and cannot be advanced in the tabulation for a contest because there are no further valid rankin…

A “single side of a sheet on which are printed some or all of the CONTESTS to be voted by a voter.” Md. Election Code Ann. §1-101(e).

Phenomenon where voters opt not to vote on races or issues appearing further down the ballot.

Abstract definition of what appears on the ballot in a particular political subdivision, precinct or portion of precinct in a particular election and the formatting thereof.

The concrete presentation of the contents of a ballot appropriate to the particular voting technology being used. The contents may be rendered using various methods of presentation (visual or audio), …

The act of collecting ballots, typically by a political party or nonprofit organization, for multiple voters and returning those ballots to an elections office on behalf of those voters. The legality …

(opscan) A special ballot sheet whose function is to identify the precinct to which following ballots belong. See. BALLOTS BY STYLE.

A “container (i.e., secrecy sleeve) in which the voter places the selected BALLOT or voted ballot to maintain the secrecy of the selected or voted ballot until it is deposited in the secured BALLOT BO…

Electronically produced record of all votes cast by a single voter. Also, can mean a digital image of a voted ballot captured by a voting system or ballot tabulation device.

Abbreviation for BALLOT IMAGE Manager.

DRE systems since at least 1980, but their ordering must be randomized to prevent revealing votes.

Information provided to a voter that describes the procedures for marking the ballot. This information may appear directly on the paper or electronic ballot or may be provided separately.

Counting system.” Wash. Admin. Code §434-335-430(3).

A “nonrecall, citizen-initiated PETITION or legislatively-referred MEASURE which is authorized by the state constitution.” Col. Stat. §1-40-102(1).

A “single item on a BALLOT in which the voters are to choose between or among the candidates or proposals listed.” N. C. Gen. Stat. §163-165(2).

The portion of voting materials that contains information about voters, candidates, ballots, contests or other election data.

The “assembled unit containing BALLOT labels and MASK.” 31 Ky. Admin. Regs. §2:010(1)(7). Similarly in Mich. Rules §168.771(1)(f).

Any “computerized instructions which control the placement or the printing of candidates` names and BALLOT proposals on [electronic] voting m achines …” N. Y. Election Laws (consol.) §1-104(29).

“[T]he names and ballot positions of candidates and BALLOT proposals stored on a computerized device through the use of ballo t label programming.” N. Y. Election Laws (consol.) §1-104(30).

A three-member body with specific powers to examine voting machines and decides challenges to the eligibility of candidates. N. H. Rev. Stat. §665:1.

The concrete presentation of the contents of a ballot appropriate to the particular voting technology being used. The contents may be rendered using various methods of presentation (visual or audio), …

The “list of the names of candidates as they appear on the BALLOT.” Nev. Rev. Stat. §293.030.

A catalog prepared by election officials listing all the physical paper ballots and their locations in sequence. This is a requirement for a Risk Limiting Audit but can be used to track ballot invento…

See ELECTRONICALLY ASSISTED BALLOT MAKER.

Device

The “coded patterns printed on the

A device that permits contest options to be reviewed on an electronic interface, produces a human- readable paper ballot, and does not make any other lasting record of the voter's selections.

(1) A question that appears on the ballot for approval or rejection. (2) A contest on a ballot where the voter may vote yes or no.

A contest option that specifies a response to a ballot measure.

1. The number printed on a BALLOT STUB. 2. The “number printed on each BALLOT DISPLAY that matches both the number on the Direct Recording Election Machine and the cartridge that is programmed for tha…

(1) The order in which contests and candidates appear on a ballot. The order candidates and issues appear on the ballot vary by state. (2) The term used when an election official requests a ballot pri…

The “TRANSMITTAL ENVELOPE after it has been assembled to contain all of the materials to be mailed in that envelope and has been addressed to a particular elector.” Mont. Admin. Rules §44-9-103(b).

Official information about your ballot issued from an elections office, often referred to as a voter information guide.

(opscan) The route taken by a ballot as it is being read by a scanner.

Refers to the act of collecting an absentee or mailed ballot, instead of returning it via drop box, through the mail, or delivery.

A method to conduct a risk-limiting audit where a random sample of ballots are selected and the results for the selected contest(s) are tallied; the audit stops if it produces strong enough evidence t…

A specific place in a ballot where a voter's selection for a particular contest may be indicated. Positions may be connected to row and column numbers on the face of a voting machine or ballot, partic…

The fraction of ballot positions that can be tabulated erroneously by a voting system. 2007 VVSG. A maximum permissible ERROR RATE was established by HAVA at 1 in 500,000.

Selecting the specific contests and questions to be contained in a ballot format and related instructions; preparing and testing election-specific software containing these selections; producing all p…

“1. The BALLOT processing and packaging board must be composed of persons who are qualified in the use of the data processing equipment to be operated for the voting count. 2. The board shall: (a) All…

Process of generating ballots for presentation to voters, for example, printing paper ballots, or configuring the ballot presentation for an electronic display.

The process of encoding information about the ballot, including office titles, candidate names and parties, so it can be read and processed by a voting machine to display the BALLOT (more properly, BA…

Any “constitutional amendment, proposition, referendum or other question submitted to the voters at any election.” N. Y. Election Laws (consol.) §1-104(17). Also

Any “question or measure submitted to a vote of the people of the state, a subdivision thereof, county, district, city or town, and includes a constitutional amendment, initiative, referendum, bond me…

Proposals to enact new laws or constitutional amendments that are placed on the ballot for approval or rejection by voters.

A form which shows the number of voted, spoiled, damaged, provisional, emergency, unused, and any other ballots from a polling place.

A ballot substituted for a damaged or partially invalid ballot -- usually remade by a regulated process where the votes from the damaged or partially invalid ballot are duplicated onto another ballot …

The “choices available to the voter in a BALLOT question.” 33 Pa. Bull. 31, p. 3935 (Aug. 2, 2003).

Process of varying the order of the candidate names within a given contest. This practice varies by state.

Device used to read the voter selection data from a paper ballot or ballot card.

The “display of material containing the names of offices and candidates and public questions to be voted on.” 10 Ill. Comp. Stat. §5/24C-2.

A board appointed “to prepare the tabulated BALLOTS for storage at the close of the counting center.” Mont. Admin. Rules §44.3.1773.

A set of rules and procedures to establish the fundamental right of voters in the United States to cast a secret ballot. These procedures ensure that no ballot can be associated with a voter, thereby …

A “cover to be used by the voter to conceal the votes marked on the BALLOT.” Minn. Rules §8220.0250.3b.

A “self-standing enclosure in which a voter selects a party or NONPARTISAN BALLOT or during the primary election.” Hawaii Admin. Regs. §2-51-1.

The need to divide physical ballots into distin ct groups for processing. For example, ballots containing WRITE-IN votes require human interpretation a nd thus must be separated out from ballots not c…

See ballot image.

1. A “paper BALLOT printed on one or both sides which is (1) designed and prepared so that the voter may indicate his or her votes in de signated areas, which must be enclosed areas clearly printed or…

A single piece of paper that forms part of a paper ballot. Paper ballots may contain multiple sheets.

A certification by election officials accounting for the status of all BALLOTS under their care.

The “material upon which: (a) A BALLOT is printed; and (b) A voter directly indicates his vote.” Nev. Admin. Code §293.010(1).

The way in which electoral choices are presented on the ballot paper, in particular whether the ballot is candidate-centred or party-centred.

A small strip, usually located at the top of a ballot, that is perforated with information about the ballot such as a serial number, the date of the election, and jurisdiction where the election is be…

The act of casting illegal votes or submitting more than one ballot per voter when only one ballot per voter is permitted.

A ballot with a specific set of contests and candidates for a particular precinct. Ballot styles vary based on which combination of contests and which party affiliation (in primary elections), that vo…

Identify and validate voting equipment configur ations, perform logic and accuracy tests, activate ballots, capture votes, count votes, r econcile ballots needing special treatment, generate reports, …

The portion of a BALLOT on which a voter is eligible to vote. Sometime as synonym for BALLOT STYLE.

The “computer program or programs used to tally voted ballots in an election.” Cal. Regs. §20621

A form of TACTILE BALLOT for visually impaired voters.

(1) The official short summary of a ballot measure that appears on a ballot. (2) The ballot title typically includes the election date and type (Special, Primary, or General) of election.

A “container used by the chief election officer or the clerk to transport ballots.” Hawaii Admin. Regs. §2-51-1.

(opscan) A designation for variant ballots used in the same precinct, such as parts of a multi- page ballot or different ballots for voters of different parties.

A ballot with a specific set of contests and candidates for a particular precinct. Ballot styles vary based on which combination of contests and which party affiliation (in a primary election), that v…

A process that produces a paper ballot of the required ballot style with the contests and candidates specific to a voter. This process requires a system with a printer that can create paper ballots th…

A process that produces a paper ballot of the required ballot style that meets a specific voter ’s needs. The use of this process requires:

On a DRE. The equipment must be able to recognize mark or indications in the response field or they will not be treated as votes. 2007 VVSG.

A “device which allows voters, including voters with disabilities, to mark an optical scanning or mark-sensing voting system ballot, privately and independently. The ballot-marking device is capable o…

Another term for a two-round system, used primarily in Latin America.

A term from UOCAVA denoting essential items to be provided to OVERSEAS VOTERS. “‘balloting materials’ means official post car d forms …, Federal write-in absentee ballots …, and any State balloting ma…

Used in request messages. Enumeration for methods for delivering a ballot to the voter, used in the BallotReceiptPreference attribute of BallotRequest. The sub-element may be repeated multiple times w…

Used in request messages. An abstract class representing a request for a ballot. Classes for specific types of BallotRequest inherit the attributes and define their own. Attribute Multiplicity Type At…

(opscan) Determining the precinct to which a ballot belongs by reading preprinted marks on

(opscan) Determining the precinct to which a ballot belongs by reading a BALLOT HEADER rather than preprinted marks on the ballot. Cf. BALLOTS BY PRECINCT.

A “system that utilizes ballots printed as needed by election officials at the board of elections for distribution to electors, either in person or by mail.” Ohio Rev. Stat. §3506.20.

Used in response messages. For referencing a ballot style defined elsewhere, such as in an Election Management System (EMS). Attribute Multiplicity Type Attribute Description ExternalIdentifier 0.* Ex…

The throughput capacity of digital connections. Large data files (like an electors list) require significant bandwidth capacity to move through a network. Low bandwidth means slow connection speeds.

Display on an information system that sets parameters for system or data use.

The process of capturing banner information—such as application type and version—that is transmitted by a remote port when a connection is initiated. (SP 800-115) (NISTIR)

An optical and machine-readable representation of data as a sequence of bars and spaces that conform to accepted standards. A QR code is an example of a barcode.

Device used to scan barcodes and convert the encoded information into a usable format. Barcode readers are used to scan codes on a variety of election materials including ballots, driver's licenses, v…

Product configuration that has been formally submitted for review against the Standards, which thereafter serves as the basis for further development; and can be changed and offered to jurisdictions o…

A documented set of specifications for an information system, or a configuration item within a system, that has been formally reviewed and agreed on at a given point in time, and which can be changed …

The minimum security controls required for safeguarding an IT system based on its identified needs for confidentiality, integrity, and/or availability protection. (SP 800-16) (NISTIR)

A vote variation in which the candidate with the most votes wins. In single-seat contests, the voter may only select one contest option. In multi-seat contests, the voter may select up to the number o…

Monitoring resources to determine typical utilization patterns so that significant deviations can be detected. (SP 800-61) (NISTIR)

A test methodology that assumes no knowledge of the internal structure and implementation detail of the assessment object. Also known as black box testing.

(opscan) The weight in pounds of a ream (500 sheets) of paper.

A special purpose computer on a network where the computer is specifically designed and configured to withstand attacks.

A collection of paper ballots gathered as a group for tabulation and auditing.

A unique ID associated with a batch of ballots, used for labeling the batch and for identifying the batch in the ballot manifest.

• An electronic voting device that: • accepts stacks of hand-marked or BMD-produced paper ballots and automatically processes them until the stack is empty; • is usually used at an election jurisdicti…

A separate power source designed to allow for con tinued voting in the even of a power failure. “The voting system shall be a battery back-up sy stem that will, as a minimum, retain voter information …

SPECIAL ELECTION.” Minn. Stat. §200.02(5). An election “held only (a) whenever any vacancy occurs in the offices of United States senator, United States representative, state senator, or state represe…

A process through which a system or program sends a message announcing its presence online. This term is typically used in a cyber threat context to indicate a compromised system communicating with an…

The act of examining malware interactions within its operating environment including file systems, the registry (if on Windows), the network, as well as other processes and Operating System components…

The extent to which an individual practices several types of cybersecurity measures to avoid or attenuate the types of cyber threats that they are vulnerable to

What an individual who has completed the specific training module is expected to be able to accomplish in terms of IT security-related job performance. (SP 800-16) (NISTIR)

Quantitative point of reference to which the measured performance of a system or device may be compared.

A non-hostile location protected from external hostile elements by physical, personnel, and procedural security countermeasures.

(CDS) A cross domain device or system with the capability to provide both the transmission and reception of information or data between two or more different security domains (e.g., between TS/SCI and…

A legislative body having two branches or chambers.

A legislature made up of two houses, usually known as an upper house and a lower house.

Taking place every other year. Federal elections take place biennially in even-numbered years.

A specified period of two years.

Data sets which are too big to process and manage with commodity software tools in a timely way, and require bespoke processing capabilities to manage their volumes, speed of delivery and multiplicity…

The list of laws and regulations that determine which election materials need to be available in languages other than English.

Process of associating two related elements of information.

A PRIMARY ELECTION for DELEGATES who are obliged to vote for the expressed preference of the primary voters in the districts they represent.

Refers to the use of biometric data for authentication and access control to improve cybersecurity

Making small, strategic changes to habits and behaviors to improve things like cognitive function and weight management.

Use unique physical or behavioral traits like fingerprints, facial features, and voice patterns for cybersecurity authentication

The stored electronic information pertaining to a biometric. This information can be in terms of raw or compressed pixels or in terms of some characteristic (e.g., patterns.) (FIPS 201) (NISTIR)

An automated system capable of:

Measurable physical characteristics or personal behavioral traits used to identify, or verify the claimed identity, of an individual. Facial images, fingerprints, and handwriting samples are all examp…

A systematic process of gathering near real-time biological information to detect, monitor, and characterize threats to human, animal, plant, and environmental health, enabling early warning and ident…

A binary digit having a value of 0 or 1.

Ratio between the number of bits incorrectly received and the total number of bits transmitted through a communications channel. Also applies to storage.

A digital currency and payment system. (UK 2016)

A communication network architecture in which user data traversing a global internet protocol (IP) network is end-to-end encrypted at the IP layer. Related to striped core.

A test methodology that assumes no knowledge of the internal structure and implementation detail of the assessment object. Also known as basic testing.

A form of testing that is performed with no knowledge of a target system's internals

A list of URLs, domains, users, or other identifiers, that have had system access or privileges blocked. Election offices may wish to “add” domains to be blocked to a blacklist, maintained by their sy…

The process used to identify: (i) software programs that are not authorized to execute on an information system; or (ii) prohibited universal resource locators (URL)/websites.

An issued ballot without any selections made.

An area on the ballot typically used by voters to write in a name that is not already pre-printed with the other candidate's name on the ballot for that contest.

A ballot in which all candidates and questions to be voted on are displayed on a single sheet, so-called because of its large size.

Primary election wherein a voter may vote for candidates from any party, regardless of the political party affiliation of the voter or candidates.

(opscan) Overflow of an image beyond the trim edge of a ballot.

A type of attack that combines multiple attack methods against one or more vulnerabilities.

Very limited or lack of vision.

A digital signature method, due to David Ch aum, enabling a person to sign a document digitally without being able to read its contents. Blind signatures are useful in voting because they permit a vot…

1. A method of voting in which the voter is constrained to select a group (bloc) of candidates instead of being able to vote for them indivi dually. Presidential voting is bloc voting in a limited sen…

Sequence of binary bits that comprise the input, output, State, and Round Key. The length of a sequence is the number of bits it contains. Blocks are also interpreted as arrays of bytes. (FIPS 197) (N…

A symmetric key cryptographic algorithm that transforms a block of information at a time using a cryptographic key. For a block cipher algorithm, the length of the input block is the same as the lengt…

A family of functions and their inverses that is parameterized by a cryptographic key; the function maps bit strings of a fixed length to bit strings of the same length. (SP 800-67) (NISTIR)

A plurality/majority system used in multi-member districts in which electors have as many votes as there are candidates to be elected. Voting is candidate-centred. The candidates with the highest vote…

A system in which a voter can select as many candidates as there are open seats.

A concept relating to software transparency. The “ability to associate exception handlers with blocks of logic, and implicitly, the presence of the exception concept in the programming language. (This…

A database that holds a continuously growing set of encrypted transactions, in a tamper proof format. Blockchain is the underlying architecture for Bitcoin technology. Online voting systems have been …

A list of entities that are blocked or denied privileges or access.

Team 1. The group responsible for defending an enterprise’s use of information systems by maintaining its security posture against a group of mock attackers (i.e., the Red Team). Typically the Blue Te…

A ballot printed on blue paper to designate that it is for “adoption of a city charter or charter amendments, a proposition for the issuance of bonds, and all other questions relating to city or town …

A group that defends an enterprise's information systems when mock attackers (i.e., the Red Team) attack, typically as part of an operational exercise conducted according to rules established and…

An attack in which someone sends unsolicited messages to a Bluetooth-enabled device

A hacking technique in which a hacker accesses a wireless device through a Bluetooth connection

A wireless protocol that allows two similarly equipped devices to communicate with each other within a short distance, e.g., 30 ft.

A group of individuals working together to complete an elections task. Examples include Precinct Boards, Canvassing Boards, Auditing Boards, among others.

A group of individuals working together, following specific rules and procedures, to compile, review, and validate election materials.

The governing body of a county in many U. S. states, especially in the Midwest and the East, consisting of members elected by the voters.

A board that manages the affairs of an institution or local government.

In Louisiana, a board that exercises control over electoral functions in a parish. La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §18:423. Board of Elections and Ethics In the District of Columbia, the three-member body that su…

A group of individuals appointed, usually by local authorities, and charged with control of elections and voting procedures.

A body of election watchers in Hawaii, Michigan and New York. The “inspectors shall act as a board, and a majority thereof shall decide questions. Two inspectors who are not of the same political fait…

A group of individuals appointed, usually by local authorities and charged with control of elections and voting.

A body constituted to certify the results of electi ons. “Within 20 days after the election, or sooner if the returns are all received, the state auditor, superintendent of public instruction, and att…

The governing body of a county in many U. S. states, especially in the West, consisting of members elected by the voters.

The set of data that documents the information system’s adherence to the security controls applied.

A debt in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and is obliged to repay the principal and interest at a later date. Bonds questions may be placed on local ballots to approve or deny a bo…

An election where a proposal to allow a state or local government to approve additional spending in which a debt and obligation are repaid with interest appears on the ballot for voters to decide on.

A proposal to allow a state or local government to approve additional spending in which a debt and obligation are repaid with interest.

When a state or local government places a question before the voters as a ballot measure, asking them to approve additional proposed spending using a bond.

A proposal to repeal a law authorizing a bond that was previously enacted by a governing body, and that is placed on the ballot to be approved or rejected by voters.

A PRIMARY in which a small number of delegates are held aside and not allocated on a proportional basis but are awarded to the highe st vote-getter as a “ bonus” for winning. Also known as an “enhance…

Pertaining to one of two states: off/on, 1/0, Yes/No, or some other binary pairing. When a voting system is tested, most of the tests are Boolean in nature – that is, the system completely passes or c…

A bootkit is a type of malware that infects a computer's boot process, giving the attacker control over the system. Bootkits are a major security threat because they can bypass standard security measu…

A candidate-centred preferential system used in either single- or multi-member districts in which voters use numbers to mark their preferences on the ballot paper and each preference marked is then as…

A protocol designed to optimize routing of information exchanged through the internet.

“Software, firmware, or HARDWIRED LOGIC that is developed to connect APPLICATION LOGIC to COTS or THIRD-PARTY LOGIC. … Although it is typically developed by the voting system manufacturer, border logi…

A town, village, or part of a large city that has its own government.

An election for officials of a borough in states have such an administrative subdivision, such as Alaska, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

A computer that has been compromised with malware to perform activities under the remote command and control of an administrator.

Comes from the Slavic word “robota” meaning work. Refers to a program that automatically carries out certain actions upon receiving the command. So-called malicious bots can control compromised system…

The controller of a botnet that, from a remote location, provides direction to the compromised computers in the botnet.

The controller of a botnet that, from a remote location, provides direction to the compromised computers in the botnet. (NICCS)

A network of compromised computers (or bots) under unified command and control.

Physical or logical perimeter of a system.

The process by which a country, local authority area or area of a supranational institution is divided into electoral districts.

The line that divides a precinct, city, or other political unit from another.

Monitoring and control of communications at the external boundary of an information system to prevent and detect malicious and other unauthorized communications, through the use of boundary protection…

A device with appropriate mechanisms that: (i) facilitates the adjudication of different interconnected system security policies (e.g., controlling the flow of information into or out of an interconne…

“At each regular or special state, municipal or ward election the registrars of each town or voting district, as the case may be, shall appoint a suitable elector residing therein, for each ballot box…

Voting instructions written in characters that are represented by patterns of raised dots which are read through touch.

Compromise of security that leads to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure of, or access to, protected information.

The crime of offering money or compensation to “influence any elector in giving his vote, or deter him from giving the same, or to disturb, or to hinder him in the free exercise of the right of suffra…

Software program installed on a computer, that permits the user to access the Internet, download files, print files, and perform other operations. Common browsers are Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, Mo…

Act of searching through information system storage or active content to locate or acquire information, without necessarily knowing the existence or form at of information being sought.

A method of accessing an obstructed device through attempting multiple combinations of numeric and/or alphanumeric passwords. (SP 800-72) (NISTIR)

An attack is a method that uses trial and error to crack passwords, login credentials, and encryption keys

A condition at an interface under which more input can be placed into a buffer or data holding area than the capacity allocated, overwriting other information. Attackers exploit such a condition to cr…

A method of overloading a predefined amount of space in a buffer, which can potentially overwrite and corrupt data in memory. (SP 800-72) (NISTIR)

An unexpected and relatively small defect, fault, flaw, or imperfection in an information system or device.

A set of principles, practices, and tools to design, develop, and evolve information systems and software that enhance resistance to vulnerabilities, flaws, and attacks.

Simultaneous encryption of all channels of a multi-channel telecommunications link.

"Bulletproof" provision of services or storage space without the usual content restrictions. This content can include hard (child) pornography, phishing sites, and other illegal content. The operators…

The documentation of a predetermined set of instructions or procedures that describes how an organization’s mission/business processes will be sustained during and after a significant disruption.

The documentation of a predetermined set of instructions or procedures that describe how an organization’s mission/business processes will be sustained during and after a significant disruption.

An analysis of an information system’s requirements, functions, and interdependencies used to characterize system contingency requirements and priorities in the event of a significant disruption.

A ballot that has the names of candidates down both sides of a ballot, with a single column to mark choices down the middle.

A unit of digital information consisting of 8 bits (binary digits: each bit corresponds to a choice between two alternatives).