Zero tape

A tape that is printed by an electronic voting machine or electronic ballot tabulator before the machine or tabulator is to begin accepting ballots. The zero tape verifies that zero votes have been tallied by the machine before the election begins.

Source: COUNTING VOTES 2012: A State by State Look at Voting Technology Preparedness, Verified Voting Foundation, Rutgers School of Law - Newark Constitutional Litigation Clinic & Common Cause Education Fund, https://countingvotes.org/sites/default/files/CountingVotes2012_Final_August2012.pdf