Ballot Return Envelope
The envelope issued by the County Elections Official and used by the voter to return a
voted ballot. The envelope displays the voter’s name, address, precinct, ballot type and other pertinent information.
Challenged Ballot
Ballots that are held for further research because there is a question as to whether the voter’s eligibility has changed since the voter last registered to vote or because the
signatures on the ballot return envelope and the registration card do not match.
County Elections Official
The County Clerk or County Official in charge of elections.
Long term absentee voter
A resident of Oregon who is absent from their place of residence.
Possible long term absentee voters include:
- a person serving in or discharged 30 days or less from the United States Armed Forces
- a United States Merchant Marine; or a temporarily living outside of the territorial limits of the United States and the District of Columbia
- the spouse of a long term absentee voter
Machine-rejected ballot
A defective ballot that is not machine-readable, including a ripped or torn ballot, a ballot voted with an instrument that cannot be read by the machine, or a ballot with
extraneous marks within the read head path.
Master List
The names of all voters to whom ballots are mailed. The list can be an electronic file or a hard copy.
Non-Affiliated Voter
A voter who has chosen not to be a member of a political party and who has indicated this on the voter registration card.
Provisional Ballot
A ballot that is issued when the eligibility of the voter has not yet been determined or when the
County Elections Official issues a ballot to a voter who resides in another Oregon county.
Reissued Ballot
A ballot that is issued to a voter to correct an error in the printing of issuing of the original ballot.
Or a ballot that is issued to a voter who has updated and has requested a new ballot.
Rejected Ballot
A ballot that has passed signature verification but that cannot be counted because of other violations. These ballots are discovered during the opening process when boards are
removing the contents from the return envelopes. Examples include:
- ballot return envelopes that contain more than one ballot
- ballot return envelopes received unsealed that contain an unsealed secrecy envelope
Replacement Ballot
A ballot that is issued upon request from a voter whenever the original ballot has been destroyed, spoiled, lost or not received by the voter. A replacement is the identical to the
voter’s original ballot.
Unaccepted Ballot
A ballot that is not processed beyond the step of signature verification. Examples include:
- envelopes with no signature or the wrong signature
- signature does not match the registration card
- ballot is not returned in the ballot return envelope, etc.