AI & Elections Glossary

Abandoned Ballot: 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.

Absentee Application: An application to receive an absentee ballot.

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.

Absentee Ballot Request Form: A form used by a voter to request an absentee ballot.

Absentee Mail Process: A series of actions or steps taken when voting using an absentee ballot.

Absentee Procedures: The established series of actions taken by an election official to process absentee ballots.

Absentee Vote: A vote cast using an absentee ballot.

Absentee Voter: A voter who uses an absentee ballot to vote.

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

Absolute Majority: More than 50%.

Acceptance Testing: Examination of a voting system by the purchasing election jurisdiction to validate the performance of delivered devices to ensure they meet procurement requirements, and that the delivered system is, in fact, the certified system purchased. This usually happens in a simulated-use environment.