Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division

Oregon Central Voter Registration (OCVR):
Glossary

Absent elector
A person to whom the county clerk has issued a ballot prior to 8 p.m. the day of the election in the case of an election conducted at polling places, or prior to the mailing of ballots under ORS 254.470 (3)(a) for an election conducted by mail. ORS 253.005

Ballot
Any material on which votes may be cast for candidates or measures. ORS 246.012

Ballot Label
The material containing the names of candidates or the measures to be voted on. ORS 254.005

Business Owner
The person or group who "own" the business processes impacted by the project's outcome. There may be multiple interim business owners whose processes will be impacted by the project's outcome. These interim business owners may also be referred to as stakeholders.

Candidate
An individual whose name is or is expected to be printed on the official ballot. ORS 249.002

Central Voter Registration System
A state developed and managed, integrated and interactive secure database of all registered voter information for the State of Oregon. The database will be accessible by state and county election staff.

Chief Elections Officer
a) Oregon Secretary of State regarding a candidate for a state office or an office to be voted on in the state at large or in a congressional district, or a measure to be voted on in the state at large; b) county clerk regarding a candidate for a county office, or a measure to be voted on in the county only; c) city clerk, auditor or recorder, regarding a candidate for a city office, or a measure to be voted on in a county only. ORS 254.005

City Office
The office of mayor, city auditor, city councilman or municipal judge of a city having a population of 50,000 or more according to the most recent determination made under ORS 190.510 to 190.610. ORS 251.005

Contestant
Any person who files a petition of contest under ORS 258.036. ORS 258.006

Contestee
a) In a contest of the nomination of a person for an office or the election of a person to an office, all candidates for the nomination or office, other than a candidate who is a contestant; b) in a contest of the approval or rejection of a measure proposed by initiative petition, the chief petitioner is a contestant, and any other person involved in the cause of the contest; c) if the cause of the contest is ORS 258.016 (6) or (7), the county clerk. ORS 258.006

County Clerk
The county clerk or the county official in charge of elections. ORS 246.012

County Governing Body
The county court sitting for the transaction of county business or the board of county commissioners. ORS 246.012

Database
A set of related files that is created and managed by a database management system (DBMS). Today, DBMSs can manage any form of data including text, images, sound and video. Database and file structures are always determined by the software. As far as the hardware is concerned, it's all bits and bytes.

Digital Signature
A digital guarantee that a file has not been altered, as if it were carried in an electronically sealed envelope. The "signature" is an encrypted digest (one-way hash function) of the text message, executable or other file. The recipient decrypts the digest that was sent and also recomputes the digest from the received file. If the digests match, the file is proved intact and tamper free from the sender.

District
Territory, other than territory within a city, proposed to be created, formed or incorporated into a district or to be annexed or otherwise added to a district. See ORS 255.012 for multiple alternative definitions.

District Election
Any election authorized or required to be held by a district. ORS 255.005

District Elections Authority
The county court or board of commissioners, district board or other body or officer authorized to call a district election. ORS 255.005

Elector
An individual qualified to vote under section 2, Article II, Oregon Constitution. ORS 247.002

Election
Any election held within this state (Oregon). ORS 246.012

Elections Management
Those activities currently performed by Oregon counties to register voters, process absentee ballots, affidavit tracking, polling place management, ballot management, petition and candidate processing, tally votes, distribute voter information, provide elections/voter information to interested parties, geographic mapping, and elections system administration.

Elections Oversight
Those activities currently performed by the Oregon Secretary of State's Election Division including monitoring voter registration reports generated by counties, approving voting systems, administer voter registration forms distribution, provide guidelines for determining residency for voter registration purposes, and in general to "obtain and maintain uniformity in the application, operation, and interpretation of the elections laws." From ORS 246.110-.179

Full Recount
A recount of all the precincts in which votes were cast for the nomination or office for which a candidate received a vote or on any measure that appeared on the ballot. ORS 246.012

Governing Body
The governing body of any subdivision of the state. ORS 246.012

HAVA
Help America Vote Act. A federal law enacted in 2002 to reform elections management and voter registration nationwide. www.sos.state.or.us/elections/HAVA/

Internet
1) A large network made up of a number of smaller networks. 2) (Internet) The "Internet" is made up of computers in more than 100 countries covering commercial, academic and government endeavors. Originally developed for the U.S. military, the Internet became widely used for academic and commercial research.

Local Elections Official
a) An official of any election precinct or special district or public corporation organized for public purposes; and b) Authorized or required by law to perform functions in connection with elections held in the elections precinct or special district or public corporation organized for public purposes. ORS 246.012

Measure
Any of the following submitted to the people for their approval or rejection at an election: a) a proposed law; b) an act or part of an act for the legislative assembly; c) a revision of or amendment to the Oregon Constitution; d) local, special or municipal legislation; e) a proposition or question. ORS 246.012

NVRA
National Voter Registration Act from 1993, also known as the "motor voter" act. Requires states to offer voters the opportunity to register or update their registration at motor vehicle and other designated state agencies that provide federal services. The act also directs states to "conduct a general program that makes a reasonable effort to remove the names of ineligible voters."

Partial Recount
A recount conducted in a number of precincts equal to the greater of: a) Five percent of the precincts in which votes were cast for the nomination or office for which a candidate received a vote or on any measure that appeared on the ballot; or b) three specified precincts in which votes were cast for the nomination or office for which a candidate received a vote or on any measure that appeared on the ballot. ORS 258.006

Precinct
Any elections precinct, an administrative subdivision. From ORS 246.012

Project
A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service by the application of knowledge, techniques and relationships to project activities in order to meet stakeholder needs while balancing competing demands of scope, time, cost and quality (adapted from the Guide to the Project Management Body of knowledge (PMBOK) 1996, Project Management Institute).

Project Administrator
The person responsible for 1) project organization and management including task and resource scheduling, budget estimates and tracking, project status reporting and project communications and 2) oversight of professional service contractors and monitoring of deliverables completion.

Project Director
The person who 1) manages the project administrator, executive, and other project team members, 2) serves as executive liaison between the project and the sponsor and steering committee, 3) allocates internal Information Services Division resources, 4) oversees professional services procurement, 5) provides leadership and oversight on project management best practices, and 6) reports to the Legislature on progress and issues.

Project Executive
The person who ensures stakeholder needs are heard, manages project scope and ensures project communications among stakeholders including county election officials, county data processing staff, project staff, Elections Division, IRMD, and the Legislature.

Project Sponsor
The person who 1) approves the project charter, scope, and any scope changes, 2) approves budget expenditures for the project, 3) resolves project resource conflicts, 4) provides project oversight and Secretary of State policy decisions, and 5) usually heads the project's steering committee. For Oregon Central Voter Registration Project, the sponsor has designated another individual to chair the steering committee.

Project Steering Committee
An advisory group to the Project Sponsor. May consist of project stakeholders, project team members, and the business owners. Usually meets at least quarterly to provide oversight and advice on project issues.

Public Office
Any national, state, county, city, or district office, or position, except a political party office, filled by the electors. ORS 249.002

Registration Card
A state voter registration card approved by the Secretary of State under ORS 247.171, a federal voter registration application form prescribed by the Federal Election Commission pursuant to the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 or the voter registration portion of an application described in ORS 247.017. ORS 247.002

Signatures and Certificates
A digital signature ensures that the file originated with the entity signing it and that it was not tampered with after the signature was applied. However, the sender could still be an impersonator and not who it claims to be. To verify that the message was indeed sent by the person or organization claiming to send it requires a digital certificate (digital ID) which is issued by a certification authority.

State Office
The Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Attorney General, Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries, Superintendent of Public Instruction, judge, state Senator, state Representative or district attorney. ORS 249.002

Stakeholder
A person or entity that will be impacted by the outcome of the project, either directly or indirectly. Stakeholders may also be business owners.

Subject Matter Experts
Resources external to the project team who have expertise in specific areas of interest for the project. These resources may be agency staff or may be contractor staff.

System
A group of related components that interact to perform a task. (2) A computer system is made up of the CPU, operating system and peripheral devices. (3) An information system is made up of the database, all the data entry, update, query and report programs and manual and machine procedures. (4) "The system" often refers to the operating system.

System Security
The protection of data against unauthorized access. Programs and data can be secured by issuing identification numbers and passwords to authorized users.

Voting Machine
a) any device which will record every vote cast on candidates and measures and which will either internally or externally total all votes cast on that device; b) any device into which a ballot may be inserted and which is so designed and constructed that the vote for any candidate or measure may be indicated by punching or marking the ballot. ORS 246.012

Vote Tally System
One or more pieces of equipment necessary to examine and tally automatically the market or punched ballots. ORS 246.012

Elections Division

Oregon Central Voter Registration (OCVR): Glossary

Oregon Central Voter Registration (OCVR):
Glossary