A "condition of a voted ballot in which more votes have been cast for an ISSUE or OFFICE than the number of votes that the voter is la wfully entitled to cast." Minn. Rules §8220.0250.21. Generally no vote at all in counted for any office that is overvoted, but there are exception. In a vote-for-many office, for example, in Iowa, if a voter writes in the same name more than once in the write-in spaces, exactly one of the votes will count despite the overvote. Iowa Code §49.99. Cf. UNDERVOTE.
What is an overvote in an election?
An overvote occurs when a voter selects more choices in a contest than the maximum number allowed. For example, choosing two candidates in a “vote for one” race creates an overvote. The affected contest generally cannot be counted as a valid vote for a candidate, although other properly voted contests can still count.
What is an example of an overvote?
If a ballot instructs the voter to choose one candidate but two candidate selections are marked, that contest is overvoted. In a “vote for up to three” contest, selecting four choices is also an overvote. Voting systems may alert in-person voters to an overvote before the ballot is finally cast.
What is the difference between an overvote and an undervote?
An overvote means the voter selected more choices than permitted in a contest, while an undervote means the voter selected fewer than permitted or left the contest blank. An overvote can prevent a vote from being allocated in that contest; an undervote simply reflects unused selections. Other valid contests can still be counted.
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A "condition of a voted ballot in which more votes have been cast for an ISSUE or OFFICE than the number of votes that the voter is la wfully entitled to cast." Minn. Rules §8220.0250.21. Generally no vote at all in counted for any office that is overvoted, but there are exception. In a vote-for-many office, for example, in Iowa, if a voter writes in the same name more than once in the write-in spaces, exactly one of the votes will count despite the overvote. Iowa Code §49.99. Cf. UNDERVOTE.
Cite this term
Election Security Glossary. (2026). Overvote. In Election Security Glossary. Retrieved August 22, 2026, from https://electionsecurityglossary.com/glossary/overvote
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