Primary definition
A "mark on a ballot that appears to be accidental or appears to be unrelated to the act of filling in the TARGET." Iowa Admin. Code §721-26.1(49). VOTING
Also known asaccidental mark · extraneous mark · incidental mark
2 sources cited3 related termsReviewed Aug 9, 2026
— Electronic Voting GlossaryView source
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Carnegie Mellon University
A "mark on a ballot that appears to be accidental or appears to be unrelated to the act of filling in the TARGET." Iowa Admin. Code §721-26.1(49). VOTING
Electronic Voting Glossary · 2024
Cite this term
Permanent URL · stable across revisions
Election Security Glossary. (2026). Stray Mark. In Election Security Glossary. Retrieved August 20, 2026, from https://electionsecurityglossary.com/glossary/stray-mark
Sources
2 cited · last checked Aug 9, 2026
01
Electronic Voting Glossary
Electronic Voting Glossary
High consensus
02
EAC Glossary of Terms
EAC Glossary of Terms
Disputed
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