Source code

1. Human readable computer instructions that, when compiled or interpreted, define the functionality of a programmed device. Source code can be written by humans or by computers.

Source: Election Terminology Glossary - Draft, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), https://pages.nist.gov/ElectionGlossary/

2. Human readable computer instructions that when compiled or interpreted, become an application. Source code can be written by humans or by computers. The source code of a voting system must be securely stored (escrowed) so that any future, needed modifications of the system can be performed.

Source: Information Technology Terminology, U.S. Election Assistance Commission, https://www.eac.gov/documents/2017/09/21/information-technology-terminology-security

3. A computer program rendered in human-readable form that also clearly lays out the structure of the program.

Source: Asking the Right Questions about Electronic Voting, National Research Council on the National Academies, https://www.nap.edu/catalog/11449/asking-the-right-questions-about-electronic-voting

4. The text that can create software: Source code “generates” software, software “runs on” hardware. Because source code is just like any other digital file, it is possible to copy it and run it on multiple machines. This infinite reproducibility means source code is regulated much like other creative works (books, movies, etc.) - it can be copyrighted and its use can be governed by the license that it is released under.

Open Source Voting in San Francisco, City and County of San Francisco, http://civilgrandjury.sfgov.org/2017_2018/2017-18_SFCGJ_Final_Report_Open_Source_Voting_in_San_Francisco.pdf

5. The form in which a computer program is written by the programmer. Source code is written in a programming language before being converted into machine code for a computer to read and use.

Source: Independent Panel on Internet Voting British Columbia, British Columbia Independent Panel on Internet Voting, https://elections.bc.ca/docs/recommendations-report.pdf