Categorical
Ballot
Voters
make a straight choice.
Collation
The
transmission of results from a particular polling site to the next level to be
collated with other results to give the outcome for a wider area to establish
the overall national result.
Contestation
An
administrative objection, or any other, to activities and decisions of an
electoral nature, or to the electoral process and results.
Counting
Centre
A
central or regional place where the votes for more than one polling station are
counted. Counting of the votes and marked in a way that does not allow determining
the choice of the elector or that divulges the identity of the voter. Not to be
confused with spoiled ballot.
Counting
of the Votes
The
activity consisting of counting the votes case for each candidate or political
party after the close of the polls. This activity determines the winners.
Consists of opening the ballot box, sorting their contents, determining the
validity of ballot papers and counting the valid ones. Produces the result.
Declined
Ballot
A
ballot which an elector has chosen not to mark for any party of political
party, generally with a view to express his dissatisfaction in the choice of
candidates or parties.
Electoral
Dispute (Recourse)
A
system put in place to resolve complaints, disputes, claims, recalls and
contestations relating to the electoral process.
Electoral
Quota
The
number of votes or the proportion of the votes required to win a seat in a
proportional representation system.
Exit
Poll
An
unofficial poll in which voters leaving a polling station are asked how they
voted. This is done especially by the media, the parties, and the candidates
Mark-Choice
Ballot
Where
alternate candidate/parties appear on the same ballot and the voter places only
a single mark to mark his or her preference.
Official
Results
Results
published by the appropriate electoral official containing all the information
required by law.
Ordinal
Ballot
A
ballot where the voter is required to indicate preferences amongst the various
candidates or parties by numbering their respective names, in declining order.
Panachage
A
device used in a small number of jurisdictions to add additional flexibility to
open-list systems. It is the capacity to vote for more than one candidate
across different party lists. It is categorized as a free list system.
Plurality
of Votes
Electoral
results in which a candidate or a political party receives more votes than the
opponents, but less than 50% of all votes cast.
Preferential
Distribution
A
system in which votes counted are used to redistribute the preferences of the
electors to establish a winner (in alternative vote and single non transferable
vote systems).
Quick
Count Results
Results
obtained through a quick count process used where the collation of the overall
results can take a lengthy period.
Rejected
Ballot
A
ballot paper found in the ballot box during the Counting of the votes and
marked in a way that does not allow to determine the choice of the elector or
that divulges the identity of the voter. Not to be confused with spoiled
ballot.
Results
Final
result establishing the successful candidate or candidates, or party or
parties.
Seat
A
position within a legislature or parliament, usually filled by an elected
person.
Seat
Allocation
The
process of distributing the seats of a legislative assembly to the political
parties or candidates on the basis of the number of votes they have obtained.
Spoiled
Ballot
A
ballot that cannot be used. A spoiled ballot is one that is returned to the
voting officer at the voting station and is not put into the ballot box. The
voter may have marked their ballot incorrectly and requires another ballot to
give effect to their vote.
Statement
of the Vote/ Results Slip/ Results Form
The
statement of the vote is a form on which results are written. The counting
official completes this form for each ballot box counted at the counting
centre. This form indicates the election results and should include standard
information, such as the name of the electoral district, the name and/or number
of the voting station, and election date.
Tendered
Vote Two-Round Electoral System
A
system in which the election takes place in two rounds, often a week or a
fortnight apart. First round is conducted as First Past the Post election. If a
candidate receives absolute majority, the election is over. If not, a second
round of voting is conducted and the winner is declared elected. Also referred
to as run-off or double ballot system.
Unmarked
Ballot: see Rejected Ballot.
Unofficial
Results

Results
published by the media.
Unused
Ballot
Any
ballot in excess of the number required which has not been used during the
election.
Valid
Ballot
A
ballot that is not spoiled, unmarked or invalid and is completed correctly in
terms of legal requirements (if applicable) and that shows the intention of the
voter. A valid ballot may be open to interpretation, but the general best
practice is to accept a ballot as valid as long as it provides a satisfactory
indication of the voter’s choice, and it does not risk the anonymity of the
voter.
