Glossary

Paper Ballot A piece of paper or multiple card stock on which voter selections are either hand marked or printed, depending on the particular voting system. Paper Ballots in the States: Paper ballots are the most common ballot format used in the states today. In the 2020 general election, the only states to not use hand-marked paper ballots include Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana and South Carolina. Although most states still primarily use paper ballots, all states offer Ballot Marking Devices or Direct Recording Electronic voting systems for voters with disabilities in accordance with the(...)

Partially Closed Primary A primary election in which a political party may choose to allow unaffiliated voters and/or voters not registered with the party to participate in their primary election. A political party may allow unaffiliated voters to participate in their primary election while still excluding voters registered with an opposing party. Partially Closed Primaries in the States: Partially closed primaries are conducted in Connecticut, Idaho, Maryland, North Carolina, Oklahoma (Section 26-1-104), Oregon (Chapter 254, Section 365), South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia.

Partially Open Primary A primary election in which voters are allowed to vote in any party primary, regardless of their registration status. Voters may only vote in one primary per election cycle. In most states, a voter must publicly state their choice of party ballot or their selection may be regarded as a form of registration with the corresponding party. Partially Open Primaries in the States: Partially open primaries are conducted in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Tennessee and Wyoming.

Penetration Testing An evaluation method that enables researchers to search for vulnerabilities in a system. Election systems, such as the Voter Registration system, are periodically submitted to Penetration Tests to determine their vulnerabilities to cyber-attacks. Penetration Testing in the States: The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency (CISA) provides cybersecurity services to states, of which includes risk and vulnerability assessments. For example, CISA performs periodic assessments of Maryland’s election systems. Assessments include penetration testing,(...)

Permanent Absentee Voter A voter who has applied to use an absentee ballot to vote for all elections and has met the qualifications to be a permanent absentee voter in their jurisdiction. Permanent absentee voters automatically receive an absentee/mail ballot for each election. Permanent Absentee Voters in the States: Only select states allow for any voter to register as a permanent absentee voter. Five states — Arizona, Maryland, Montana, New Jersey and Virginia — and the District of Columbia allow any voter to become a permanent absentee voter and will automatically mail them a ballot for all elections(...)

Physical Configuration Audit Inspection by a voting system test lab (VSTL) that compares the voting system components submitted for certification testing to the manufacturer’s technical documentation and confirms that the documentation submitted meets the national certification requirements. Includes witnessing the executable system being built to ensure that the certified release is built from the tested components. In other words, a physical configuration audit verifies the voting system components submitted for certification testing to the vendor’s technical documentation. Physical Configuration Audits in the(...)

Plurality Voting An electoral system in which a voter may choose only one candidate among several and the winner is the candidate who receives the most votes, regardless of whether they receive a majority of votes (at least 50% +1). Plurality Voting in the States: Plurality voting is used for state and/or national elections in all U.S. states. For example, in an election for a U.S. senator — a single seat contest — voters are allowed to choose one candidate, among several. The candidate who wins the most votes, regardless of whether they received a majority of the votes (at least 50% +1) is elected(...)

Poll Book An official register of electors entitled to vote at an election, used to verify and check in voters prior to issuing them a ballot. This term may also be referred to as a sign-in book on Election Day. Additional Information: The poll book is the voter’s first stop on Election Day. It is typically a table where the voter’s identification is checked and verified with the information in the poll book where he or she then signs to receive their ballot. Absentee ballots are also processed on Election Day. Those voters are marked with their voter identification number in the poll(...)

Poll Book Station A site used to check in, process or tabulate ballots from multiple precincts at a central location.State Example: In Wisconsin, election officials keep track of who voted on Election Day by verifying poll books. The Wisconsin Election Commission developed their own in-house electronic poll book application called Badger Books that is used in Wisconsin elections. This application performs the same tasks as a paper poll book such as process Election Day registrations or checking-in voters only

Poll Book Station A site used to check in, process or tabulate ballots from multiple precincts at a central location. Poll Book Stations in the States: In Wisconsin, election officials keep track of who voted on Election Day by verifying poll books. The Wisconsin Election Commission developed their own in-house electronic poll book application called Badger Books that is used in Wisconsin elections. This application performs the same tasks as a paper poll book such as process Election Day registrations or checking-in voters only electronically.

Poll List An official register of electors entitled to vote at an election. A poll list may be provided to poll workers in paper format — forming the basis of a poll book — or digitally — forming the basis of an electronic poll book — to verify and check-in voters prior to issuing them a ballot. Additional Information: The first step in a voter appearing on a state’s poll list is registering to vote. When an individual fills out their voter registration application — either in person, online or by mail — that information must be verified by election officials. Once verified, the voter’s(...)

Poll Watcher An individual who is assigned by a political party or candidate to observe activities at a polling place to guard against illegal voting, fraudulent counting of ballots and other violations of election laws. They are allowed in all polling locations within their designated county. Additional Information: Poll watchers can be assigned by political parties, candidates or ballot issue committees in most states. Their job is to ensure that their respective party or ballot issue committee has a fair chance of winning an election. Poll watcher qualifications can vary from state to state(...)

Poll Worker : An official, who is often a volunteer, responsible for proper and orderly voting procedures at a polling location or an election process. Voting procedures include but are not limited to: Verifying voter registration. Issuing ballots. Ensuring voter privacy and ballot secrecy. Managing ballot tabulators and electronic poll book software. Ensuring the accuracy of critical data. Offering instruction on the voting process. Additional Information: A poll worker cannot be a challenger, candidate on the ballot, member of a candidate’s immediate family or a member of(...)

Poll Worker An official, who is often a volunteer, responsible for proper and orderly voting procedures at a polling location or an election process. Voting procedures include but are not limited to: Verifying voter registration. Issuing ballots. Ensuring voter privacy and ballot secrecy. Managing ballot tabulators and electronic poll book software. Ensuring the accuracy of critical data. Offering instruction on the voting process. Additional Information: A poll worker cannot be a challenger, candidate on the ballot, member of a candidate’s immediate family or a member of the(...)

Polling Place Assignment The location of the facility where a voter will be on the official list of voters authorized to cast a ballot. Polling places are based on a voter's residential address and the site may change from one election to the next. Polling Place Assignments in the States: In Indiana, a registered voter can use the state’s voter portal to search for their polling location based on their verified voter registration address. The portal will also show you who is on the ballot based on your polling location. Once you have located your polling place assignment, you need to make sure you have the(...)

Polling Places The facility in which voters are assigned to cast in-person ballots. This location is typically a building that serves in a different capacity outside of Election Day such as a school, a religious establishment or recreational center. Additional Information: In the 2018 general election, more than 230,000 polling places were used. Although election offices are polling places, sites such as schools, fire stations or churches can also serve as polling places. Polling Places in the States: Each state has its own set of rules and regulations surrounding conduct inside and outside of(...)

Primary Election An election in which voters determine which candidate will represent a political party for a given office in the general election. In most states, the candidate who receives the highest number of votes in a primary advances to run in the general election. Primary elections can be held for both partisan and nonpartisan offices. Primary procedures vary widely by state but are commonly categorized according to who is allowed to participate in the party’s primary, which is often based on a registered voter’s party affiliation, or lack there-of. These categories are as follows: closed,(...)

Primary Open to Unaffiliated Voters A primary election in which voters who are not affiliated with a political party may choose which political party’s ballot they would like to receive. However, voters who do have a party affiliation must vote the political party’s ballot with which they are affiliated. Some states require unaffiliated voters to declare a party affiliation at the polls to vote in that party’s primary. Unaffiliated Open Primaries in the States: Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Rhode Island.

Procedural Audit Post Election Audit An audit conducted to determine if election procedures are followed. Procedural audits include ensuring that forms are signed, vote tabulation equipment is tested, ballot materials are securely sealed and the custody of critical election materials is documented. Procedural Audits in the States: Florida has a post-election reconciliation statute and rule that requires voter registration information and information about who voted in the election to be compiled in a report, which is issued within 30 days after the election results are certified. According to(...)

Proof of Residence A document that is used to verify where a voter lives. Authorized documents can vary from state to state and from voting in person versus voting by mail. Proof of Residence in the States: In most states, there are a multitude of authorized proof of residency documents. In Wisconsin, the following are authorized proof of residency documents: A current and valid State of Wisconsin Driver License or State ID card. Any other official identification card or license issued by a Wisconsin governmental body or unit. Any identification card issued by an employer in the normal course(...)

Proportional Voting A manner of voting used in multi-seat contests whereby the votes in a contest are distributed to the selected candidates proportionally based on the number of selections. Proportional voting will result in multiple winners for a given contest. Proportional Voting in the States: The single transferrable vote system is the only type of proportional voting to have been used in the U.S., primarily in cities. During the twentieth century, cities such as New York, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo, Minneapolis, Boulder and Cambridge are the only cities to have used a single transferrable vote(...)

Provisional Ballot A ballot cast by a voter who, on the day of an election, was not on the list of eligible voters, whose information was incomplete or inaccurate, whose eligibility was challenged by an election official, or who had already received a ballot in the mail and was allowed to vote. These ballots are usually kept separate from other ballots until the voter’s eligibility is determined.Provisional ballots are also referred to as fail-safe ballots. Provisional Ballots in the States: Section 302 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 required all states to provide provisional ballots if their(...)

Punch Card Voting System A voting system where voters punch holes in a ballot card with a punching ballot marking device to mark their selections. Once a voter has completed their ballot, it is then placed in a ballot box or fed into a computer tabulating device. Punch Card Voting in the States: The first punch card voting machine, “The Coyle,” was invented in Ohio in 1961. Idaho was the last state to use punch card voting machines with Franklin and Shoshone counties using them in the 2014 elections. Punch card voting machines have since been abandoned.

Policy Areas

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