Standards

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Public Test

In plain English

A public test is a condensed logic and accuracy test of voting equipment that is announced in advance through public media and is open for the public to observe in person.

Definition

An abbreviated logic and accuracy test of voting equipment, pre-announced in public media and open to public attendance, usually in conformance with specific election calendar timing.

Also known aspublic logic and accuracy test · public L&A test · public equipment test · public voting system test
1 sources cited4 related termsReviewed by Martins Ogundare · Aug 10, 2026
NIST Election GlossaryView source
Example

A county publishes a notice in the local newspaper that its voting equipment will undergo a public test on October 15 at the election office. Any resident may attend and watch the test proceed.

Why this term matters

Public testing builds confidence that voting equipment counts ballots accurately before election day, and it lets the public watch the process. Open testing deters tampering and catches errors or malfunctions early, while officials still have time to respond.

How it is used in election security

A jurisdiction announces the test time through public media and runs a shortened logic and accuracy check on the actual equipment, often with a test deck. Members of the public and the press may attend, observe the count, and ask questions.

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NIST

An abbreviated logic and accuracy test of voting equipment, pre-announced in public media and open to public attendance, usually in conformance with specific election calendar timing.

NIST Election Glossary · 2024

Cite this term

Permanent URL · stable across revisions
Election Security Glossary. (2026). Public Test. In Election Security Glossary. Retrieved September 15, 2026, from https://electionsecurityglossary.com/glossary/public-test

Sources

1 cited · last checked Aug 10, 2026

01

NIST Election Glossary
NIST Election Glossary

Single-source

View source

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