O Terms — Election Security Glossary

The proactive approach to securing networks and systems from attacks by actively seeking out vulnerabilities and weaknesses

A person or group of persons external to an organization who are not authorized to access its assets and pose a potential risk to the organization and its assets.

A solemn attestation of the truth of what one says or that one sincerely intends to do what one says.

An oath or affirmation a person takes to make a public commitment to the duties, responsibilities and obligations associated with holding public office.

A voter in Kentucky whose name is not on the PRECINCT ROSTER may vote open executing a oath of voter declaring that he is eligible to vote.

Passive information system-related entity (e.g., devices, files, records, tables, processes, programs, domains) containing or receiving information. Access to an object (by a subject) implies access t…

The “binary code produced by a compiler or a ssembler that can be executed directly by a computer without further simplification. A machine-language program is written in object code.” Fla. VSS Append…

A specialized formatted number that is registered with an internationally recognized standards organization. The unique alphanumeric/numeric identifier registered under the ISO registration standard t…

(C. F. D.) Reassignment and reuse of a storage medium containing one or more objects after ensuring no residual data remains on the storage medium. Rationale: Term has been replaced by the term “resid…

A board appointed to observe centr al counting procedures in Montana. Mont. Admin. Rules. §44.3.1765(2)(a).

Operational test conducted on voting devices during an election by real voters to establish confidence that the voter verifiable paper record is produced correctly when assistive technology is used. D…

The act of witnessing and assessing, but not intervening in, the proceedings of an election. On-site Internet

Watcher. N. C. Gen. Stat. §163-45. WI.

Individuals that monitor the opening and closing of voting locations, voting, the counting and tabulation of results, or any other part an election.

Refers to data that is not stored within the PIV card or computation that is not done by the Integrated Circuit Chip (ICC) of the PIV card. (FIPS 201) (NISTIR)

An attack where the Attacker obtains some data (typically by eavesdropping on an authentication protocol run, or by penetrating a system and stealing security files) that he/she is able to analyze in …

Cryptographic system in which encryption and decryption are performed independently of the transmission and reception functions.

The use of cyber capabilities to disrupt, deny, degrade or destroy computers networks and internet­ connected devices. (UK 2016)

Cyberspace operations intended to project power by the application of force in or through cyberspace.

(OCO) Cyberspace operations intended to project power by the application of force in or through cyberspace.

(Approved for removal from the next edition of JP 1-02) (Jt Pub 3-13)

Any federal, state, county, town, parish, borough, municipal, school, district or other government position.

A term used to describe an individual who has been sworn into public office and is currently serving in the position.

An official responsible for administering an election or an election process.

A term used to describe an individual who has been sworn into public office and is currently serving in the position.

1. Any “person who, under color of any Federal, State, Commonwealth, or local law, statute, ordinance, regulation, authority, custom, or usage, performs or is authorized to perform any function, duty,…

(1) Of or relating to an office, position, or trust (2) Holding an office: having authority

The official presentation of all of the contests to be decided in a particular election. Either in paper or electronic format, the mechanism for voters to show their voter preferences.

An official card or a number of cards upon which are printed, or identified by reference to the ballot, the names of candidates for nomination or election to one or more offices or the ballot titles o…

A paper, envelope, or folder that encloses a ballot to maintain the secrecy of how a voter marked their ballot.

The processing, counting, and inspection of early- returned vote-by-mail ballots and the ballots cast in each voting precinct

A notation affixed to a ballot to indicate that it is genuine. “(a) the information on the ballot that identifies: (i) the ballot as an official ballot; (ii) the date of the election; and (iii) the fa…

The official inner, outer, and secrecy envelopes used to transport or enclose ballots.

All information of any kind, however stored, that is in the custody and control of the Department/Agency (D/A), relates to information in the custody and control of the D/A, or was acquired by D/A emp…

A person designated to observe the counting of ballots. 2 Hawaii Rev. Stat. §16-45. An “observer officially appointed by the Secretary of State or an observer appointed by the United States government…

A list of the individuals that have registered with a party affiliation on an electoral roll, as a prerequisite for being entitled or permitted to vote.

The “book furnished election officials by the elec tion officer” that contains information about registered voters. Utah Code §20A-1-102(44).

“The returns produced by the vote tallying system, to which have been added the counts of questioned ballots, write-in votes, and absentee votes, constitute the official returns of the primary or elec…

A list of the individuals that have registered on an electoral roll where a voter resides, as a prerequisite for being entitled to vote.

An example ballot provided to voters with information specific to the voter. Sample Ballot booklets often provide additional election information such as the voter's polling place and hours, informati…

The “first tape produced by an electronic tabulating machine that tallies the final vote totals at the conclusion of voting and that is attached to the zero tape produced by the machine prior to the s…

Declared Write-in. One who has “filed a write-in candi date's certificate of announcement and have been certified according to [law].” W. Va. Code §3-4A-27(c)(7).

A post-election audit to verify election outcomes conducted publicly as a manual tally of the ballots cast in 1% of the precincts chosen at random by the elections official.

A principle of representation in which each elected representative represents the same number of electors, and under which malapportionment is minimized.

Code in which plain text elements and their accompanying code groups are arranged in alphabetical, numerical, or other systematic order, so one listing serves for both encoding and decoding. One-part …

Cryptosystem employing key used only once.

(OTP) Manual one-time cryptosystem produced in pad form.

(OTT) Punched paper tape used to provide key streams on a one-time basis in certain machine cryptosystems.

Hash algorithms which map arbitrarily long inputs into a fixed-size output such that it is very difficult (computationally infeasible) to find two different hash inputs that produce the same output. S…

A hardware or software mechanism that only permits data to move in one direction and does not allow the flow of data in the opposite direction.

A “ballot provided to voters who have request ed in writing to automatically receive an absentee ballot for each ensuing election for which he or she is entitled to vote, and provided to voters who ar…

See information security continuous monitoring (ISCM). ongoing authorization See information security continuous monitoring (ISCM).

An attack against an authentication protocol where the Attacker either assumes the role of a Claimant with a genuine Verifier or actively alters the authentication channel. The goal of the attack may …

An online protocol used to determine the status of a public key certificate. (FIPS 201) (NISTIR)

Cryptographic system in which encryption and decryption are performed in association with the transmitting and receiving functions.

Online voter registration follows essentially the same process as a traditional paper-based process, by which new voters fill out a paper form that is submitted to election officials, but instead of f…

Voter registration subsystem that permits individual users to remotely create, edit or review their own voter record within the voter registration system.

A ballot which is exposed to the public. “In a ll elections by the people, the mode of voting shall be by ballot; but the voter shall be left free to vote by either open, sealed or secret ballot, as h…

SCAP language for expressing security checks that cannot be evaluated without some human interaction or feedback. (SP 800-128) (NISTIR)

A form of List PR in which voters can express a preference both for a party or grouping for one, or sometimes more, candidates within that party or grouping. See also Closed list and Free list.

Primary election in which any voters can participate, regardless of their political affiliation. Some states require voters to publicly declare their choice of party ballot at the polling place, after…

Documents or pieces of information that are not considered confidential and generally pertain to the conduct of government.

Computer software with its source code (human readable code) made available with a license in which the copyright holder provides the rights to study, change, and distribute the software to anyone and…

An umbrella term for software that is licensed with some combination of characteristics. The universal feature of open source software is that the source code is available for anyone to inspect. Other…

A general term for source code and software that is licensed under an Open Source license.

A composite VOTING STATE of a VOTE-CAPTURE DEVICE which includes the ACTIVATED STATE and the SUSPENDED STATE. 2007 VVSG.

Any storage of classified national security information outside of approved containers. This includes classified information that is resident on information systems media and outside of an approved st…

A method of voting in which the voter’s ballot is voluntarily exposed. W. Va. Code §3-4-8(1).

A language for representing system configuration information, assessing machine state, and reporting assessment results.

SCAP language for specifying low-level testing procedures used by checklists. (SP 800-128) (NISTIR)

Open-ended Vulnerability Testing. 2007 VVSG

An extensible XML schema that enables you to describe the technical characteristics that identify a known threat, an attacker's methodology, or other evidence of compromise.

A NICE Framework category consisting of specialty areas responsible for providing the support, administration, and maintenance necessary to ensure effective and efficient IT system performance and sec…

A collection of programs that controls the hardware of a computer system and provides utilities and services to application software that is installed on the device. Operating systems use complex rele…

Analyzing characteristics of packets sent by a target, such as packet headers or listening ports, to identify the operating system in use on the target. (SP 800-115) (NISTIR)

The documentation by which an organization provides guidance for members and employees to perform their functions correctly and reasonably efficiently. It documents the approved standard procedures fo…

The security controls (i.e., safeguards or countermeasures) for an information system that are primarily implemented and executed by people (as opposed to systems). Rationale: NIST SP 800-53 no longer…

All software, hardware (including facilities, furnishings and fixtures), materials, documentation, and the interface used by the election personnel, maintenance operator, poll worker, and voter, requi…

An action-based exercise where personnel rehearse reactions to an incident scenario, drawing on their understanding of plans and procedures, roles, and responsibilities.

Key intended for use over-the-air for protection of operational information or for the production or secure electrical transmission of key streams.

See Hop Point.

The ability of systems to resist, absorb, and recover from or adapt to an adverse occurrence during operation that may cause harm, destruction, or loss of ability to perform mission-related functions.

Hardware and software that detects or causes a change through the direct monitoring and/ or control of physical devices, processes, and events in the enterprise.

A “test conducted on voting equipment in an active (operational) state.” 2007 VVSG.

Information that describes the presence of an information vulnerability within a specific operational setting or network. (CNSSI-4009) (NISTIR)

Authority for continued use of unmodified COMSEC end-items pending the completion of a mandatory modification.

Code composed largely of words and phrases suitable for general communications use.

See Voting Equipment Operations Procedures.

1. A process of identifying critical information and analyzing friendly actions attendant to military operations and other activities to: identify those actions that can be observed by adversary intel…

The hardware and software systems used to operate industrial control devices.

Other candidates for offices up for elections who belong to a different party or who have different aims or policies.

Auditing of additional contests on selected ballots beyond the contests for which risk limits have been specified.

See Voting channel.

Disapproving of or disagreeing with.

Optical SCAN

Miss. Code Ann. §23-15-503(a).

Any “apparatus necessary to automatically ex amine and count votes as designated on paper ballots.” Miss. Code Ann. 23-15-503(b).

A voting system that can scan paper ballots and tally votes. Most older optical scan systems use Infrared (IR) scanning technology and ballots with timing marks to accurately scan the ballot. Newer (d…

A “ballot that is marked by using a specified writing instrument to fill in a designated position to record a voter’s candidate, question, or issue choice and that can be scanned and electronically re…

A card or a number of cards upon which are printed, or identified by reference to the ballot, the names of candidates for nomination or election to one or more offices or the ballot titles of one or m…

System by which votes are recorded by means of marks made in voting targets designated on one or both sides of a ballot card or series of cards. An optical scan system reads and tabulates ballots, usu…

An “electronic voting system … in which the voter records votes by marking with a pencil or other device, including an ELECTRONIC BALLOT MARKER, a ballot on which the names of candidates, office title…

A “TABULATOR that counts votes recorded by means of marks made on the surface of a paper ballot.” 2007 VVSG.

A “paper ballot designed to be read by an optical scanning machine.” Alaska Stat. §15.60.005(20).

National Security Agency (NSA)-approved modification not required for universal implementation by all holders of a COMSEC end-item. This class of modification requires all of the engineering/doctrinal…

A RECOUNT that can be requested by a losing candi date for nomination or election. if the margin of loss is greater than that required for an AUTOMATIC RECOUNT. Minn. Stat. §204C.35(2).

An authoritative command, direction, or instruction.

The order in which contests and candidates appear on a ballot.

(OPM) The key management entity (KME) authorized to designate other KME as a short title assignment requester (STAR) or ordering privilege manager (OPM).

A piece of legislation enacted by a local authority.

An entity of any size, complexity, or positioning within an organizational structure (e.g., a federal agency, or, as appropriate, any of its operational elements). See enterprise.

Ongoing monitoring sufficient to ensure and assure effectiveness of security controls related to systems, networks, and cyberspace, by assessing security control implementation and organizational secu…

Limited maintenance performed by a user organization. (CNSSI-4009) (NISTIR)

Entity within the public key infrastructure (PKI) that authenticates the identity and the organizational affiliation of the users.

An organizational employee or an individual the organization deems to have equivalent status of an employee (e.g., contractor, guest researcher, individual detailed from another organization, individu…

(opscan) A preprinted mark on an optical scan ba llot that enables the scanner to determine the ballot’s orientation.

A master document with information about measures, initiatives, referendums, or candidates used to gather signatures from registered voters.

One of a class of emergency situations that ma y result in the postponement of an election. An “occurrence caused by machines or people, such as fire, hazardous substance or nuclear power plant accide…

“Communication through some means other than the primary channel under discussion. If the primary communication channel is the Internet, then out-of-band channel might be via U. S. mail, or a voice te…

See DISREPAIR.

To be outside the physical boundaries of a particular state.

A mechanism by which voters who are permanently or temporarily absent from a country are enabled to case a vote. See External voting. See also Remote voting.

A voting place for a precinct that is located out side that precinct. Such a place may be provided if there is no suitable place within the precinct. N. C. Gen. Stat. §163-130.1.

A voter who is out of his state of domicile but within the territorial limits of the United States. See, e.g., Wash. Rev. Code §29A.04.103.

An official envelope used to transport absentee and mailed ballots and protects voter privacy.

While this is not likely to be an issues of c oncern to most jurisdictions, Texas, home to the Johnson Space Center, specifically provides that astronauts may vote from outer space 1 Texas Admin. Code…

An unauthorized entity outside the security domain that has the potential to harm an information system through destruction, disclosure, modification of data, and/or denial of service.

During ballot scanning, to direct some ballots into a separate bin, apart from the main stack of scanned ballots.

(opscan) An elliptical area on an optical scan ballot for the voter to mark to indicate a selection. Also CANDIDATE OVAL. “ A mark that touches the oval on an optical scan ballot shall be counted as a…

(opscan) The location of an OVAL on a ballot.

(opscan) Not the width of the OVAL per se, but the thickness of the oval’s boundary line.

(OTAD) Providing electronic key via over-the-air rekeying, over-the-air key transfer, or cooperative key generation.

(OTAT) Electronically distributing key without changing traffic encryption key used on the secured communications path over which the transfer is accomplished.

Changing traffic encryption key or transmission security key in remote cryptographic equipment by sending new key directly to the remote cryptographic equipment over the communications path it secures…

An undesirable machine learning behavior that occurs when the machine learning model gives accurate predictions for training data but not for new data

The inability of a memory location or data struct ure, such as an array, to accommodate data larger than a certain size or value. The 2007 VVSG define certain overflow conditions, such as array overfl…

See Überhangsmandat.

A specification of security controls, control enhancements, supplemental guidance, and other supporting information employed during the tailoring process, that is intended to complement (and further r…

With respect to STRAIGHT-PARTY voting, the selection in one or more offices of a candidate not of the party being voted for. Also SCRATCH VOTE.

A ballot cast by a member of a uniformed service in active service overseas, or by a civilian living overseas.

A citizen of the United States who is living or located in another country outside of the United States.

1. = OVERSEAS VOTER. 2. Any “person in military service who, by reason of active duty or service, is absent on the date of an election from the place of residence in New Jersey where the person is or …

A member of a uniformed service in active service, including army, navy, air force, marine corps, coast guard, and merchant marine, and their spouses and dependents. Members of the uniformed services …

A U. S. citizen who is living outside of the United States and is eligible to vote in their last place of residence in the United States.

A NICE Framework category consisting of specialty areas providing leadership, management, direction, and/or development and advocacy so that all individuals and the organization may effectively conduc…

Communications path within a computer system or network designed for the authorized transfer of data. See covert channel.

Security testing performed with the knowledge and consent of the organization’s IT staff. (SP 800-115) (NISTIR)

When the number of selections made by a voter in a contest is more than the maximum number allowed.

A “BALLOT on which the voter has voted for more than the number of candidates to be elected for that office, or in both the affirmative a nd negative on a ballot question. N. M. Admin. Code 1.10.12.7(…

Opportunity to correct the ballot before leaving the POLLING PLACE. A requirement of Section 301 of HAVA.

Voting for more than the maximum number of selections allowed in a contest.

Writing one or more patterns of data on top of the physical location of data stored on the media.

A software process that replaces data previously stored on storage media with a predetermined set of meaningless data or random patterns. Rationale: Definition is obvious based on definition of overwr…

An individual responsible for management of an asset and its policies.

STUB which must be removed prior to being voted. 2. A separate code or string associated with each voter in a statewide registration system, as

Refers to data that is stored within the PIV card or computation that is done by the ICC of the PIV card. (FIPS 201) (NISTIR)

See EARLY VOTING. one-of-M, 1-of-M “N-OF-M VOTING where N = 1.” 2007 VVSG.