Search Glossary

Ballot that the voter did not place in the ballot box or record as cast on a direct electronic recording device (DRE) before leaving the polling place.

An application to receive an absentee ballot.

A ballot cast by a voter other than in-person on election day. Some jurisdictions use the term synonymous with mailed ballots while other jurisdictions use the term synonymous with early voting.

A form used by a voter to request an absentee ballot.

A series of actions or steps taken when voting using an absentee ballot.

A vote cast using an absentee ballot.

A voter who uses an absentee ballot to vote.

A term used by election officials when determining whether a voter is eligible for, applied for or voted using an absentee ballot.

Voting station equipped for individuals with disabilities.

A term used by election officials when a voter's record shows that the voter is eligible to vote. Active status may not be accurate if the facts have changed since a voter last updated their record.

Process of resolving cast ballots to reflect voter intent. Common reasons that ballots require adjudication include: write-ins, overvotes, marginal machine-readable mark, having no contest selections …

A form used by a voter to request an absentee ballot that is confirmed by oath or affirmation.

The amount of time that a voting device will wait for a detectible voter activity after issuing an alert, before going into an inactive state requiring election official intervention.

An electoral system where each voter may select any number of candidates, and the winner is the candidate approved by the largest number of voters. It is distinct from plurality voting, in which a vot…

Voters with disabilities are allowed assistance from a person of their choice with limited exceptions.

A poll worker or individual chosen by a voter to assist in the voting process.

Voter interface designed to not require visual reading of a ballot. Audio is used to convey information to the voter and sensitive tactile controls allow the voter to communicate ballot selections to …

A sealed container that holds ballots cast by voters.

The final action a voter takes in selecting contest options and irrevocably confirming their intent to vote as selected. Examples include when a ballot has been deposited by the voter in the ballot bo…

Feature in a voting device that counts the votes cast in an election. This can also refer to a person who counts vote by hand.

The software logic that defines the combinations of voter choices that are valid and invalid on a given ballot and that determines how the vote choices are totaled in a given election.

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

Refers to processing a ranked choice voting contest on a cast ballot, when that ballot becomes inactive and cannot be advanced in the tabulation for a contest because there are no further valid rankin…

Phenomenon where voters opt not to vote on races or issues appearing further down the ballot.

(1) A question that appears on the ballot for approval or rejection. (2) A contest on a ballot where the voter may vote yes or no.

A ballot with a specific set of contests and candidates for a particular precinct. Ballot styles vary based on which combination of contests and which party affiliation (in primary elections), that vo…

A vote variation in which the candidate with the most votes wins. In single-seat contests, the voter may only select one contest option. In multi-seat contests, the voter may select up to the number o…

• An electronic voting device that: • accepts stacks of hand-marked or BMD-produced paper ballots and automatically processes them until the stack is empty; • is usually used at an election jurisdicti…

A system in which a voter can select as many candidates as there are open seats.

The line that divides a precinct, city, or other political unit from another.

Voting instructions written in characters that are represented by patterns of raised dots which are read through touch.

A sign advertising a particular vote.

A term used by election officials when a voter's record shows that the voter has been removed from the voting rolls.

(1) Aggregating or confirming every valid ballot cast and counted, which includes absentee, early voting, Election Day, provisional, challenged, and uniformed and overseas citizen. (2) Solicit votes.

The final action a voter takes in selecting contest options and irrevocably confirming their intent to vote as selected.

A ballot has been deposited by the voter in the ballot box, mailbox, drop box or electronically submitted for tabulation.

The act of a voter to place their completed paper ballot in a ballot box, to confirm and record their choices on a touch screen voting device at a voting location, to place a completed ballot in the m…

A central absentee precinct (CAP) is a precinct established in the courthouse or other public building in a county or city for the receiving, counting, and recording of absentee ballots cast in the co…

A voting system that tabulates ballots from multiple precincts at a central location. Voted ballots are placed into secure storage at the polling place. Stored ballots are transported or transmitted t…

Electronic voting device that consolidates and reports vote totals from multiple precincts at a central location.

Ballot voted by an individual whose eligibility to vote has been questioned by another (typically an election official). The ballot is held until the reason for the challenge is resolved.

The official responsible for the proper and orderly voting at a polling location or an election process.

A person who, by place of birth, nationality of one or both parents, or naturalization is granted full rights and responsibilities as a member of a nation or political community, including the right t…

An official responsible for overseeing absentee voting or a portion of the absentee voting process.

Two or more precincts treated as a single precinct for a specific election.

On certain ballots, voters are instructed to draw a single line to connect the head and tail of the arrow that points to the choice to vote for a candidate or measure, instead of filling in a bubble o…

Two or more precincts treated as a single precinct for a specific election.

A person who is represented politically by a designated government official or officeholder, especially when the official is one that the person represented has the opportunity to participate in selec…

Terminology used in some electronic voting systems or ballot marking devices to indicate that the voter either has more selections or has not cast their ballot.

Election administrative division corresponding to a geographic area that is the basis for determining which contests the voters legally residing in that area are eligible to vote on.