D Terms — Election Security Glossary

Distributed Denial-of-service ATTACK

An attack that prevents or impairs the authorized use of information system resources or services.

The processes and specialized techniques for gathering, retaining, and analyzing system-related data (digital evidence) for investigative purposes.

See Demilitarized Zone. (NISTIR)

Domain name system With the help of DNS the internet and its services can be utilised in a user-friendly way, because users can utilise names instead of IP addresses (e.g. www.melani.admin.ch).

Denial-of-service ATTACK

A Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) describes a process designed to identify risks arising out of the processing of personal data and to minimize these risks as far and as early as possible

A direct recording electronic (DRE) voting machine directly records the voter’s selections in each race or contest. It does so via the image of a ballot that appears on an electronic display screen. T…

Part of the DRE-VVPAT that displays the electronic record.

A VOTING MACHINE that records votes electronically instead of by DOCUMENT BALLOT.

A “direct recording electronic voting device which is a computer-driven unit for casting and counting votes on which a voter casts his or he r votes through the use of a touch screen or VWD device.” G…

A series of sequential connections between de vices, usually to share a common power source or data path.

A ballot that has been torn, bent, or otherwise mutilated or rendered unreadable such that it cannot be processed by the ballot tabulating equipment designed for use with the ballot.

A collection of websites that use anonymity tools to hide their IP addresses

Information in a specific representation, usually as a sequence of symbols that have meaning.

(1) Data accuracy is defined in terms of ballot position error rate. This rate applies to the voting functions and supporting equipment that capture, record, store, consolidate and report the specific…

DATA Acquisition Manager

In the NICE Framework, cybersecurity work where a person: Develops and administers databases and/or data management systems that allow for the storage, query, and utilization of data.

Compilation of individual data systems and data that could result in the totality of the information being classified, or classified at a higher level, or of beneficial use to an adversary.

1. Any entity that is comprised of data. For example, a database is a data asset that is comprised of data records. A data asset may be a system or application output file, database, document, or Web …

The unauthorized movement or disclosure of sensitive information to a party, usually out- side the organization, that is not authorized to have or see that information.

The removal of data from a storage medium. Election officials should destruct all data on election systems before selling or disposing of the systems. Any election system that is to be destroyed shoul…

A basic unit of information that has a unique meaning and subcategories (data items) of distinct value. Examples of data elements include gender, race, and geographic location.

The DEA cryptographic engine that is used by the Triple Data Encryption Algorithm (TDEA). (SP 800-67) (NISTIR)

Cryptographic algorithm designed for the protection of unclassified data and published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) Pu…

Synonymous with information flow control. (CNSSI-4009) (NISTIR)

A set of processes that ensures that data assets are formally managed throughout the enterprise. A data governance model establishes authority and management and decision making parameters related to …

The activity or business of providing hardware, systems, software, and infrastructure to store and manage access to data.

Invulnerability of the system to accidental intervention or deliberate, fraudulent manipulation that would result in errors in the processing of data. It is distinguished from data accuracy which enco…

The result of unintentionally or accidentally deleting data, forgetting where it is stored, or exposure to an unauthorized party.

The exposure of proprietary, sensitive, or classified information through either data theft or data leakage.

A systems ability to identify, monitor, and protect data in use (e.g. endpoint actions), data in motion (e.g. network actions), and data at rest (e.g. data storage) through deep packet content inspect…

An analytical process that attempts to find correlations or patterns in large data sets for the purpose of data or knowledge discovery.

The corroboration that the source of data received is as claimed. See also non-repudiation and peer entity authentication service

“The Data Processing Board will integrate the wr ite-in results into the totals after the last precinct to arrive I the data processing area has been processed.” Tenn. Rules §1360-2-9-.06. Datavote (s…

In the context of computers and law enforcement use, it is an equivalent term to chain of custody. It involves the method of generation, transmission and storage of information that may be used to tra…

The practice of protecting digital information from unauthorized access, corruption, or theft throughout its entire lifecycle.

The deliberate or intentional act of stealing of information.

See spillage.

A non-hierarchical keyword or term assigned to a piece of information which helps describe an item and allows it to be found or processed automatically.

Fill device designed to securely store, transport, and transfer electronically both COMSEC and TRANSEC key, designed to be backward compatible with the previou s generation of COMSEC common fill devic…

Interconnect networks or information systems that operate in different sec urity domains and transfer data between them.

Quantitative or qualitative raw material used to represent information, or from which information can be derived.

A structured collection of data that includes data and metadata (data about the data). Databases are managed by database management systems. The election database stores all of the requisite informati…

A collaborative data management practice focused on improving the communication, integration and automation of data flows between data managers and data consumers across an organization

The final day for voting; ballot counting and announcement of preliminary results typically take place at the end of this day; also known as voting day or election day.

A cloud database offering that provides customers with access to a database without having to deploy and manage the underlying infrastructure

A cybercrime in which the attacker floods a target with internet traffic to prevent users from accessing connected online services and sites

Distributed denial of service attacks A DoS attack where the victim is simultaneously attacked by many different systems.

An information security strategy to strengthens an organization's security posture by implementing multiple levels of protection, including inherently secure computer systems and protocols, high-level…

The latest time and date that a citizen can vote.

Hearing loss so severe that there is very little or no functional hearing.

“If the officers charged with the duty of processing absentee ballots are cognizant of the fact that the voter has died prior to the opening of the polls, they shall not open the envelope containing t…

To revoke the authentication of; to cause no longer to be authenticated.

A voter who dies after having cast an ABSENTEE BALLOT. Generally such a ballot is not to be counted. “If an absentee voter dies before the polls are opened on election day, and this fact comes to the …

The “counting and tabulation of BALLOTS at the polling place on election day.” Hawaii Admin. Regs. §2-51-1.

Revocation of national or state certification of voting system hardware and software.

Convert enciphered text to plain text by means of a cryptographic system.

A form completed by a disabled voter to either request or deny assistance during the voting process.

The act of completing the required paperwork to become a candidate for public office.

A declaration by a manufacturer that a voting system belongs to a specific CLASS under the 2007 VVSG.

The act of completing the required paperwork to declare a person's intent to become a candidate for public office.

A document filed with a governing authority to declare a person's intent to raise and spend political contributions.

A document filed with a governing authority to declare a person's intent to seek election to an office where their name will not be pre-printed on a ballot but need a voter to write in the candidate's…

In some jurisdictions, such as Colorado, a WRITE-IN vote is void unless the name selected appears on a pre-approved list of declared write-in candidates.

Convert encoded data back to its original form of representation.

A generic term encompassing decoding and deciphering.

Process of changing encrypted text into plain text.

A tool, or set of tools, used to decrypt encrypted files. Either for recovery or anti-ransomware purposes.

A telephone line connected to a single tele phone device or modem and used only for communication of election information. 2007 VVSG.

Information systems security mode of operation wherein each user, with direct or indirect access to the system, its peripherals, remote terminals, or remote hosts, has all of the following: 1. valid s…

A Chinese-government-sponsored threat group

A digital picture or video that has been maliciously edited using an algorithm in a way that makes the video appear authentic.

A ballot containing marks ultimately not desired by the voter, usually the result of an error or change of mind. Virtually the equivalent of SPOILED BALLOT. See Ky. Rev. Stat. 117.385(1). “If any pape…

Classification reflecting the highest classification being processed in an information system. Default classification is included in the caution statement affixed to an object.

A ballot that has been torn, defaced, or marked in a way that it cannot be tabulated by a scanner.

The proactive observing, pursuing, and countering of adversary operations and imposing of costs in day-to-day competition to disrupt and defeat ongoing malicious adversary cyber campaigns, deter futur…

“[T]hat person whose election or qualification is contested or those persons receiving an equal or larger number of votes, other than the CONTESTANT, when the body canvassing the returns declares that…

Multiple levels of logical and physical security measures that deny a single point of security failure in a system. Also called the “Castle” approach.

A planned, systematic set of multi-disciplinary activities that seek to identify, manage, and reduce risk of exploitable vulnerabilities at every stage of the system, network, or sub-component lifecyc…

A coordinated set of actions across the U. S. government, utilizing any or all available instruments of U. S. national power, to respond to an adversary cyber campaign, mitigate its potential effects,…

Missions to preserve the ability to utilize one’s own network capabilities and protect data, computers, cyberspace-enabled devices, and other designated systems by defeating ongoing or imminent malici…

(DCO-RA) Deliberate, authorized defensive measures or activities taken outside of the defended network to protect and defend Department of Defense (DoD) cyberspace capabilities or other designated sys…

(DCO) Passive and active cyberspace operations intended to preserve the ability to utilize friendly cyberspace capabilities and protect data, networks, net-centric capab ilities, and other designated …

To reduce the magnetic flux to virtual zero by applying a reverse magnetizing field. Also called demagnetizing.

“Each voter shall vote without undue delay.” Mo. Rev. Stat. §115.441.

An authorized person sent to represent others, in particular an elective representative.

A PRIMARY ELECTION held for the purpose of choosing DELEGATES.

INFOSEC program in which the Director, NSA, delegates, on a caseby-case basis, the development and/or production of an entire telecommunications product, including the INFOSEC portion, to a lead depar…

A file that has been logically, but not necessarily physically, erased from the operating system, perhaps to eliminate potentially incriminating evidence. Deleting files does not always necessarily el…

A group of people responsible collectively for transporting VOTED BALLOTS.” Hawaii Admin. Regs. §2-51-1.

A configuration of a client node that enables a DOA agent to access a primary services node (PRSN) to retrieve KMI products and access KMI services. A DOC consists of a client platform but does not in…

Process of preparing COMSEC equipment for disposal by extracting all controlled cryptographic item (CCI), classified, or CRYPTO marked components for their secure destruction, as well as defacing and …

The process of preparing National Security System equipment for disposal by extracting all CCI, classified, or CRYPTO-marked components for their secure destruction, as well as defacing and disposing …

1. Perimeter network segment that is logically between internal and external networks. Its purpose is to enforce the internal network’s Information Assurance (IA) policy for external information excha…

A government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.

The process by which a country’s political institutions and democratic procedures become legitimized, stable and broadly accepted by both political actors and the wider population.

A “ballot of a distinctive color used to instruct voters in the use of the voting system.” Minn. Rules §8220.0250.11.

A “BALLOT CARD of a distinctive color used to instruct voters on the use of the voting device. The card shall have the word "DEMONSTRAT ION" printed or stamped on it.” 31 Ky. Admin. Regs. §2:010(1)(12…

A “VOTING DEVICE on which voters are instructed in the use of the device.” 31 Ky. Admin. Regs. §2:010(1)(13).

The prevention of authorized access to resources or the delating of time-critical operations.

Abbreviated DOS. Department of Health and Human Services The government body charged under HAVA with maki ng payments to states to make polling places accessible to the disabled. 42 U. S. C §15421. Ab…

Domain Name System Abbreviated DNS.

A type of VVPAT in which the paper ballot is VOTER-HANDLED but must be deposited into a ballot box before the voter leaves the polling place, as opposed to TAKE-HOME systems. Deposit systems subdivide…

An attribute associated with an assessment method that addresses the rigor and level of detail associated with the application of the method. The values for the depth attribute, hierarchically from le…

A person who is empowered or authorized to act on behalf of a person in authority. Election officials can administer an oath to citizens to carry out official election duties as their deputies in some…

In New Hampshire, an ELECTION OFFICER. N. H. Rev. Stat. §652:14. See also CITY CLERK.

A “deputy clerk for early voting w ho is appointed … to serve as the election officer in charge of the polling place for early voting.” Nev. Rev. Stat. §293.046. Cf. CLERK.

In New Hampshire, an ELECTION OFFICER. N. H. Rev. Stat. §652:14. See also ASSISTANT MODERATOR, MODERATOR.

In New Hampshire, an ELECTION OFFICER. N. H. Rev. Stat. §652:14. Cf. REGISTRAR.

In New Hampshire, an ELECTION OFFICER. N. H. Rev. Stat. §652:14. See also TOWN CLERK.

A credential issued based on proof of possession and control of a token associated with a previously issued credential, so as not to duplicate the identity proofing process.

A natural language descriptive of a system’s security requirements, an informal design notation, or a combination of the two. (CNSSI-4009) (NISTIR)

To cancel a voting selection prior to casting a vote, usually with reference to DRE MACHINES.

That feature of a DRE machine enabling a voter to deselect a selected candidate by pressing once again on the button or space next to the candidate’s name, thus toggling the selection.

Component of a design, named and referenced uniquely, that is both structurally and functionally different from other elements.

Named characteristic or property of a design entity, which provides a statement of fact about the entity. Attributes define the design entity and not the design process.

A document in the TDP to “provide a high-level design of each voting system component.” 2007 VVSG.

Official with the authority to formally assume responsibility for operating a system at an acceptable level of risk. This term is synonymous with authorizing official, designated accrediting authority…

“Any person who is identified and authorized by the applicant to obtain from the county clerk or to deliver to the county clerk the applicant's ballot.” Ark. Code §7-1-101(7).

Body established within government or empowered by government to designate conformity assessment bodies, suspend or withdraw their designation or remove their suspension from designation

A description, name, or formal title. In some jurisdictions, a candidate may submit a descriptive designation to be printed under their name on the ballot.

The combination of cultural philosophies, practices, and tools that increases an organization's ability to deliver applications and services

A method of sanitization that renders Target Data recovery infeasible using state of the art laboratory techniques and results in the subsequent inability to use the media for storage of data.

“A MARK on a ballot that can be detected as a vote by a vote tabulating machine.” Jones.

A Random Bit Generator (RBG) that includes a DRBG mechanism and (at least initially) has access to a source of entropy input. The DRBG produces a sequence of bits from a secret initial value called a …

The portion of an RBG that includes the functions necessary to instantiate and uninstantiate the RBG, generate pseudorandom bits, (optionally) reseed the RBG and test the health of the DRBG mechanism.…

Dissuading someone from doing something by making them believe that the costs to them will exceed their expected benefit.

A general term that includes: (i) developers or manufacturers of information systems, system components, or information system services; (ii) systems integrators; (iii) vendors; (iv) and product resel…

A document in the TDP to “provide descriptions of the physical, personnel, procedural, and technical security of the development envir onment including configuration management, tools used, coding sta…

Functional unit that performs its assigned tasks as an integrated whole.

A digital certificate that ties a DEVICE PUBLIC KEY to the unique identifier of a PROGRAMMED DEVICE. 2007 VVSG.

An approval-based access control list (ACL) for a specific product that 1) names the user devices in a specific KMI operating account (KOA) to which primary services nodes (PRSNs) distribute the produ…

A human-readable plaque “permanently a ffixed to the external frame of any PROGRAMMED DEVICE containing [a SIGNATURE MODULE] that states, at a minimum, the same unique identification of the voting dev…

A permanent key uniquely associated with a PROGRAMMED DEVICE and resident in a SIGNATURE MODULE on the device. 2007 VVSG. Abbreviated DSK.

The management role that is responsible for performing activities related to registering users that are devices.

A PUBLIC KEY associated with a DEVICE SIGNATURE KEY and reflected in a DEVICE CERTIFICATE. 2007 VVSG. Abbreviated DSK. Development Committee The Technical Guidelines Development Co mmittee of the Elec…

An approach to culture, automation, and platform design that integrates security as a shared responsibility throughout the entire IT lifecycle

One of the options for the series of divisors used to distribute seats in List PR systems which adopt the Highest Average Method. The votes of a party or grouping are divided successively by 1, 2, 3… …

An “illustration of the official ballot, when placed upon the machine, showing the names of the parties, offices and candidates, and statements of the questions, in their proper places, together with …

Synonymous with call back. (CNSSI-4009) (NISTIR)

(DPA) An analysis of the variations of the electrical power consumption of a cryptographic module, using advanced statistical methods and/or other techniques, for the purpose of extracting information…

A technology by which systems and their users can employ the security applications of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). PKI is a set of roles, policies, and procedures needed to create, manage, distrib…

The position or status of being an internet user, particularly as it pertains to knowledge of responsible behaviors pertaining to internet use, including internet safety, digital footprint, online med…

Electronic information stored or transferred in digital form. (SP 800-72) (NISTIR)

In its strictest connotation, the application of computer science and investigative procedures involving the examination of digital evidence - following proper search authority, chain of custody, vali…

The ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills. A device that records votes by mean…

A form of electronic media where data are stored in digital (as opposed to analog) form.

Optical scan system that converts voter choices on a paper ballot to digital values. Digital op scan systems can accommodate a broader range of paper types, sizes of paper, ballot layout, and voter ma…

A form of access control technology to protect and manage use of digital content or devices in accordance with the content or device provider's intentions.

An asymmetric key operation where the private key is used to digitally sign an electronic document and the public key is used to verify the signature. Digital signatures provide data authentication an…

Asymmetric algorithms used for digitally signing data. (SP 800-49) (NISTIR)

Any mark in electronic form associated with an electronic document, applied with the intent to digitally sign the document.

To convert analog data to digital format for storage and use on a computer. The digital form of the character “A” is the byte: 01000001 (ASCII value 65). Any data stored in a computer must be digitize…

(optical scan) The ability of an optical scan ba llot to remain of constant size and shape when exposed to moisture.

A depression made in a punch-card by a stylus that fails to detach a CHAD. The interpretation of dimples is ambiguous since the voter may simply have changed her mind about a choice after pressing on …

PREGNANT CHAD. Also CHIP.

BLACK wireline A BLACK metallic wireline that directly leaves the inspectable space in a continuou s electrical path with no signal interruption or isolation. Continuous wirelines may be patched or sp…

A form of democracy in which citizens decide on policy initiatives directly, such as when voters decide on initiative, propositions, and referendums.

A “voting machine that: (A) Records votes by means of a ballot display provided with mechanical or electro-optical components that may be actuated by the voter; (B) Process the data by means of a comp…

The “highest total vote … received for a nominati on at the primaries or caucuses in an entire ELECTION DISTRICT.” 8 Mass. Gen’l Laws §50:1.

A primary election in which members of a party nominate its candidates by direct vote.

A DRE system presents a ballot image to a voter, collects the voter’s choices, and records those choices directly onto electronic media. DREs may be fitted with VVPAT subsystems to create a paper arti…

A vote capture device that allows electronic presentation of a ballot, electronic selection of valid contest options, and electronic storage of contest selections as individuals vote. It also provides…

A vote-capture device that allows:

An electronic voting system that utilizes electronic components for the functions of ballot presentation, vote capture, vote recording, and tabulation which are logically and physically integrated int…

Shipment of COMSEC material directly from NSA to user COMSEC accounts. (CNSSI-4009) (NISTIR)

A voter’s personally identifiable information (PII) created or stored by the voting system that can be used to associate a voter with their ballot selections. Examples include first name, last name, a…

Descriptor for a machine that does not make use of a DOCUMENT BALLOT but records choices electronically. A “combination VEDB and TABULATOR that gathers votes via an ELECTRONIC VOTER INTERFACE, records…

A “computer driven unit for casting and counti ng votes on which an elector touches a video screen or a button adjacent to a video screen to cast his or her vote.” Miss. Code §23-15- 531(b). See also …

Voting system feature that allows the voter to verify at least one representation of their ballot with their own senses, not using any software or hardware intermediary. Examples include a Marksense p…

A statewide post having administrative responsib ility for conducting elections. “The director shall act for the lieutenant governor in the supe rvision of central and regional election offices, the h…

A file storage architecture in which individual files are stored in separate, hierarchical directories. The directory is the map to where the file is stored. Most systems will store files in a default…

Repository of account registration.

List of words that have been pre-defined as being unacceptable for transmission and may be used in conjunction with a clean word list to avoid false negatives (e.g., secret within secretary).

With respect to an individual: (1) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual; (2) a record of such an impairment; (3) being …

The “period of time starting twenty days before an election until one day before the election,” during which voting may take place at a DISABILITY ACCESS VOTING LOCATION. Rev. Code Wash. §29A.46.020.

DC Team = DELIVERY AND COLLECTION TEAM.” Hawaii Admin. Regs. §2-51-1.

A “location designated by the county auditor for the conduct of IN-PERSON DISABILITY ACCESS VOTING.” Rev. Code Wash. §29A.46.010.

An individual with a disability is defined by the ADA as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or rec…

Any “registered voter who qualifies for special parking privileges …, or who is defined as blind …, or who qualifies to require assistance with voting …. Rev. Code Wash. §29A.04.037. See also VOTER WI…

Voters that may require assistance during the election process to interact with systems not designed using universal design.

The process of re-establishing polling places and r ecovering votes or ballots, if necessary, after a disaster, whether natural or otherwise. Abbreviated DR.

1. Management policy and procedures used to guide an enterprise response to a major loss of enterprise capability or damage to its facilities. The DRP is the second plan needed by the enterprise risk …

An “unselected ballot which a voter discards pr ior to voting in a primary or special primary election.” Hawaii Admin. Regs. §2-51-1.

In some states, an employee cannot be fired for running for public office. “Discharging an employee because of nomination for or election to office consists of any employer discharging or causing to l…

An umbrella term that includes all software where the source code is free for anyone to inspect. This includes software that is not free for anyone to use, and software that is not free to modify. Dis…

“Any person who, within the election enclosure, discloses to any other person how he voted shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.” 26 Okla. Stat. §16-115. “If a voter shows or discloses to another p…

The termination of an interconnection between two or more IT systems. A disconnection may be planned (e.g., due to changed business needs) or unplanned (i.e., due to an attack or other contingency). (…

(DAC) An access control policy that is enforced over all subjects and objects in an information system where the policy specifies that a subject that has been granted access to information can do one …

Unequal treatment.

To deprive someone of the right to vote.

False information deliberately spread to deceive.

One who propagates disinformation

Generating a bit-for-bit copy of the original media, including free space and slack space. (SP 800-86) (NISTIR)

Voters who have had to leave their homes, typically because of a natural disaster.

1. A CHALLENGED BALLOT. 2. A “ballot whose validity has been questioned during the recount process.” Me. Rev. Stat. §21-A-1(12). The problems with a disputed ballot must be resolved before the ballot …

The action of disqualifying a candidate or voter from participating in an electoral process.

Pronounce someone ineligible for an office or unable to participate in an electoral process.

An action or offense that makes a candidate or voter unable to participate in an electoral process.

The state of a voting machine or device that cannot be operated properly. Normally such equipment is taken out of service if the cond ition can be recognized and a spare or reserve machine put into us…

An unplanned event that causes the general system or major application to be inoperable for an unacceptable length of time (e.g., minor or extended power outage, extended unavailable network, or equip…

A category of malware designed to suspend operations within a target through the compromise of the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of the systems, networks, and data

A ballot that bears a DISTINGUISHING MARK and thus cannot be counted.

An identifier that uniquely represents an object in the X.500 directory information tree.

Information which unambiguously distinguishes an entity in the authentication process.

1. A “mark on a ballot of a type or in a place not specifically permitted by [the Election Code], which indicates the apparent intent of the voter to make his ballot distinguishable.” Me. Rev. Stat. §…

(DDoS) A denial of service technique that uses numerous hosts to perform the attack.

An email authentication, policy, and reporting protocol that verifies the authenticity of the sender of an email and blocks and reports fraudulent accounts.

A REPOSITORY which provides software it receives to parties approved by the owner of the software.” 2007 VVSG.

The requirement that to win election a candidate must win not merely a specified proportion of the vote nationally but also a specified degree of support in a number of different states or regions.

The detailed expenses of political candidate or campaign.

A political subdivision established within a specific geographic area.

The “district board of registry and election in an election district.” N. J. S. §19:1-1.

A four-member board that conducts election activities in a New Jersey PRECINCT.

The chief election official at PRECINCT in Colorado. A “registered elector who is a resident of the district, is affiliated with a political party, and is designated or elected pursuant to political p…

“All primaries and elections shall be conducted in each election district by a district election board consisting of a judge of election, a ma jority inspector of election and a minority inspector of …

An officer or board charged with performing the du ties required of the clerk of a district Cal. Elec. Code §308.

An official appointed to “oversee the procedures of a group of polling places and shall act as the personal agent and deputy of the elec tion commissioner.” Neb. Stat. §32-225. Cf. PRECINCT INSPECTOR.

The lines that divide Districts from one another.

For an electoral district, the number of representatives to be elected from it. See also Average district magnitude.

The number assigned to a political district.

An office of the federal or state government that is not voted on statewide.

A political subdivision within a PRECINCT. Examples include assembly, congressional, legislative, municipal, school, senate and supervisorial.

A Linux distribution is an operating system made from a software collection that includes the Linux kernel and often a package management system.

The crime or disturbing or preventing, or attemp ting to prevent, any elector from freely casting his ballot. Ala. Code §17-23-8. See also DISTURBING POLLING PLACE.

The crime of “disturbing a polling place consists of creating any disorder or disruption at a polling place on election day or interfering with the orderly conduct of an election.” Wyo. Stat. §22-26-1…

An electromechanical device designed to deflect cer tain ballots into a special bag or area for further examination, e.g. ballots containing WRITE-INS, which require manual processing.

Generates a list of similarly looking domain names for a given domain name and performs DNS queries for them (A, AAAA, NS and MX) which can be used to intercept misdirected traffic.

A “ballot used with a voting system in which the voter individually is issued a ballot on which to indicate one or more votes. ‘Document ballot’ includes (i) a machine-read ballot, such as an opticall…

Using search techniques to hack into vulnerable sites or search for information that is not available in public search results.

Any information that has not been cleared for public release in accordance with Department of Defense (DoD) Directive 5230.09, “Clearance of DoD Information for Public Release”, and that has been coll…

A strategy to communicate that sends a subtly coded message

An environment or context that includes a set of system resources and a set of system entities that have the right to access the resources as defined by a common sec urity policy, security model, or s…

A unique name composed of alphanumeric characters that identifies a website and appears in the address bar of the web browser.

A system that stores information associated with domain names in a distributed database on networks.

An email authentication, policy, and reporting protocol that verifies the authenticity of the sender of an email and blocks and reports fraudulent accounts. SOURCE: Cyberspace Solarium Commission Fina…

That “political party whose candidate for electi on to the office of governor at the most recent regular state election at which a governor was elected received more votes than any other person receiv…

The act of publicly providing personally identifiable information about an individual or organization, usually via the Internet and without their consent

Denial of service attacks Have the goal of causing a loss of a specific service to users or at least to considerably restrict the accessibility of the service.

Two ballots folded so they appear to be a single ballot. Neither one counts, since there is no basis on which to prefer one over the other. Iowa Code §50.3. Likewise, Va. Code §24.2-661. Also DUPLICAT…

An attempt to vote for the same candidate more than once in the same office. A frequent method is to write in the name of a candidate twice in an N-OF-M CONTEST. A voting system must not allow a doubl…

When a voter votes more than one ballot.

In Vermont, an election worker who has a specialized role in a RECOUNT. “The TALLY PERSON and the double-check person or persons each shall make a suitable mark for that candidate and/or BLANK BALLOTS…

An act or instance of transferring something (such as data or files) from a usually large computer to the memory of another device (such as a smaller computer) to transfer (data, files, etc.) from one…

Initial component of a malware infection, may lead to an infection with further malicious programs. The downloader downloads the actual virus, Trojan, etc., and launches it on the infected system.

Publishing damaging or defamatory information about an individual or organization on the Internet.

The practice of researching, or hacking, an individual’s personally identifiable information on the Internet, then publishing it. (UK 2016)

Doxxing can be illegal, but its legality depends on the specific circumstances, such as the intent behind it and the jurisdiction. While doxxing itself isn't always explicitly illegal everywhere, it o…

A DRE having a VVPAT.

Material that is added to printing ink to speed up drying.

Infection of a computer with malware simply by visiting a website. Often the websites concerned contain reputable offerings and have already been compromised beforehand for the purposes of spreading t…

A “program or subprogram designed to control the operation of a specific piece of peripheral hardware, such as a card reader, printer, or di sk drive. The driver takes into account the specific charac…

A variant of quota used in proportional representation systems which use the Largest Remainder Method, defined as the total valid vote divided by the number of seats to be filled in the electoral dist…

Procedure under which a COMSEC account custodian initially receipts for COMSEC material, and provides no further accounting for it to its central office of record. Local accountability of the COMSEC m…

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

No vote

1. The tendency of voters to vote for “importa nt” offices listed near the beginning of the BALLOT and not to cast votes in later offices. See also BALLOT FATIGUE. 2. Sometimes defined on an office-by…

A portion of camera-ready ballot copy that does not reproduce in printing.

Running for more than one office at the same time, which is generally prohibited unless one of the offices is membership on a party committee. See La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §18:453.

The precaution that two people should be required for the successful initiation of an administrative function of a voting system. 2007 VVSG.

A certificate that is intended for use with both digital signature and data encryption services. (SP 800-32) (NISTIR)

A “REGISTERED VOTER who resides at the address listed on the Board's records.” D. C. Code Ann. §1-1001.02(19). Also QUALIFIED REGISTERED ELECTOR REGISTERED QUALIFIED ELECTOR.

A tentative layout of a ballot indicating text and illustration areas.

A ballot substituted for a damaged or partially invalid ballot. Duplicate ballots are usually remade by a regulated process where the votes from the damaged or partially invalid ballot are duplicated …

A “BALLOT CARD on which the word ‘DUPLICATE’ is printed, stamped, or written and which is used to transfer a voter's valid selections from the original ballot card.” 31 Ky. Admin. Regs. §2:010(1)(14).

The annual computerized review of the statewid e voter file conducted by the Kansas Secretary of State.

A duplicate is an accurate digital reproduction of all data objects contained on the original physical item and associated media. (SP 800-72) (NISTIR)

Identical rows of information or documents.

An application to register to vote from a person already registered to vote at the same address, under the same name and personal information.

A board that duplicates damaged or mutilated ballots so they may be counted by automated equipment. Tenn. Rules §1360-2-9-.01(c), Mont. Admin. Rules §44.3.1765(2)(e). In Wyoming, a “duplicating board.…

The ability to withstand normal use without deterioration. 2007 VVSG.

A field within a certificate that is composed of two subfields; “date of issue” and “date of next issue.” (SP 800-32) (NISTIR)

An assigned work location.

The automated, on-the-fly changes of an information system's characteristics to thwart actions of an adversary.

A password that changes at a defined interval or event.

Dynamic RANDOM ACESS MEMORY

A subsystem that is not continually present during the execution phase of an information system. Service-oriented architectures and cloud computing architectures are examples of architectures that emp…

Software that changes over time once it is installed on the voting equipment.