A vote that was cast but is not available for tabulation and that cannot be recovered, or a vote that a voter intended to cast but did not succeed in casting.
What is a lost vote?
The term Lost Vote refers to a valid voter choice that is not captured, counted, or credited as intended because of ballot design, voter interaction, equipment, processing, or tabulation problems. It gives election, security, legal, or technical readers a specific label for the concept rather than a broader everyday meaning.
How can a valid voter choice become a lost vote?
Election officials use Lost Vote to create, organize, verify, communicate, or reconcile information connected with a valid voter choice that is not captured, counted, or credited as intended because of ballot design, voter interaction, equipment, processing, or tabulation problems. Documented handling makes the record easier to check later and can support canvassing, auditing, certification, retention, or public reporting.
How do audits help detect lost votes?
Election officials use Lost Vote to create, organize, verify, communicate, or reconcile information connected with a valid voter choice that is not captured, counted, or credited as intended because of ballot design, voter interaction, equipment, processing, or tabulation problems. Documented handling makes the record easier to check later and can support canvassing, auditing, certification, retention, or public reporting.
Understand more election terms clearly
Get one important election term explained each week, with authoritative sources, practical context and related definitions.
A vote that was cast but is not available for tabulation and that cannot be recovered, or a vote that a voter intended to cast but did not succeed in casting.
Cite this term
Election Security Glossary. (2026). Lost Vote. In Election Security Glossary. Retrieved August 21, 2026, from https://electionsecurityglossary.com/glossary/lost-vote
Sources
01
Single-source
Get the weekly election term
Receive one cited, source-backed election explanation in your inbox each week.