Occurs when the number of choices selected by a voter in a contest is less than the maximum number allowed for that contest or when no selection is made for a single choice contest.
What is an undervote in an election?
An undervote occurs when a voter selects fewer choices in a contest than the maximum allowed, including leaving a single-choice contest blank. The ballot can still contain valid votes in other contests. Election systems record undervotes so officials can account for ballots where no vote was allocated to every available selection.
What is an example of an undervote?
If a ballot says “vote for up to three” candidates and a voter selects only two, the contest contains one undervote. Leaving a race completely blank is also an undervote in a single-choice contest. The voter’s other properly marked contests can still be counted, subject to the jurisdiction’s normal ballot rules.
Does an undervote count?
An undervote does not count as a vote for any candidate or option in that particular unselected position. It is recorded as part of election accounting, and it does not normally invalidate valid selections elsewhere on the ballot. Voters are generally allowed to skip a contest if they do not want to make a selection.
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Occurs when the number of choices selected by a voter in a contest is less than the maximum number allowed for that contest or when no selection is made for a single choice contest.
Cite this term
Election Security Glossary. (2026). Undervote. In Election Security Glossary. Retrieved August 20, 2026, from https://electionsecurityglossary.com/glossary/undervote
Sources
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High consensus
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Disputed
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