Undervote

In plain English

An undervote happens when a voter is given the option to vote in a contest but consciously chooses not to select any candidate or option, leaving that ballot choice blank.

Definition

Occurs when the number of choices selected by a voter in a contest is less than the maximum number allowed for that contest or when no selection is made for a single choice contest.

Also known asunder vote · under-vote · underballot · partial vote

4 sources cited4 related termsReviewed by Martins Ogundare · Aug 9, 2026

— EAC Glossary of TermsView source

Example

In a 2022 gubernatorial race where a voter decided not to select any candidate for governor, their ballot recorded an undervote for that contest while still counting their votes for all other races they chose.

Why this term matters

Undervotes are particularly significant in ballot measure and primary elections where voters may have opinions on some races but intentionally skip others. Tracking undervote rates can reveal whether voters understood the ballot, whether races were confusingly worded, or whether ballot design led voters past contests without noticing them.

How it is used in election security

Election analysts study undervote patterns to evaluate ballot design and identify races that may need clearer wording or voter education. In a recount, undervotes are recounted as-is since the voter made a deliberate choice not to vote that contest. Some jurisdictions require a specific voter intent standard for determining whether a blank selection should be counted.

Common confusion

An undervote is too few selections; an overvote is too many

Overvote ↗

What is an undervote in an election?

An undervote occurs when a voter selects fewer choices in a contest than the maximum allowed, including leaving a single-choice contest blank. The ballot can still contain valid votes in other contests. Election systems record undervotes so officials can account for ballots where no vote was allocated to every available selection.

What is an example of an undervote?

If a ballot says “vote for up to three” candidates and a voter selects only two, the contest contains one undervote. Leaving a race completely blank is also an undervote in a single-choice contest. The voter’s other properly marked contests can still be counted, subject to the jurisdiction’s normal ballot rules.

Does an undervote count?

An undervote does not count as a vote for any candidate or option in that particular unselected position. It is recorded as part of election accounting, and it does not normally invalidate valid selections elsewhere on the ballot. Voters are generally allowed to skip a contest if they do not want to make a selection.

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EAC

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

Occurs when the number of choices selected by a voter in a contest is less than the maximum number allowed for that contest or when no selection is made for a single choice contest.

EAC Glossary of Terms · 2024

Cite this term

Permanent URL · stable across revisions

Election Security Glossary. (2026). Undervote. In Election Security Glossary. Retrieved September 15, 2026, from https://electionsecurityglossary.com/glossary/undervote