(10 ILCS 5/24B-2)

Sec. 24B-2. Definitions. As used in this Article:

"Computer", "automatic tabulating equipment" or "equipment" includes apparatus necessary to automatically examine and count votes as designated on ballots, and data processing machines which can be used for counting ballots and tabulating results.

"Ballot" means paper ballot sheets.

"Ballot configuration" means the particular combination of political subdivision ballots including, for each political subdivision, the particular combination of offices, candidate names and questions as it appears for each group of voters who may cast the same ballot.

"Ballot sheet" means a paper ballot printed on one or both sides which is (1) designed and prepared so that the voter may indicate his or her votes in designated areas, which must be areas clearly printed or otherwise delineated for such purpose, and (2) capable of having votes marked in the designated areas automatically examined, counted, and tabulated by an electronic scanning process.

"Central counting" means the counting of ballots in one or more locations selected by the election authority for the processing or counting, or both, of ballots. A location for central counting shall be within the territorial jurisdiction of the election authority unless there is no suitable tabulating equipment available within his territorial jurisdiction. However, in any event a counting location shall be within this State.

"Computer operator" means any person or persons designated by the election authority to operate the automatic tabulating equipment during any portion of the vote tallying process in an election, but shall not include judges of election operating vote tabulating equipment in the precinct.

"Computer program" or "program" means the set of operating instructions for the automatic tabulating equipment that examines, counts, tabulates, canvasses and prints votes recorded by a voter on a ballot.

"Edit listing" means a computer generated listing of the names of each candidate and proposition as they appear in the program for each precinct.

"Header sheet" means a data processing document which is coded to indicate to the computer the precinct identity of the ballots that will follow immediately and may indicate to the computer how such ballots are to be tabulated.

"In-precinct counting" means the counting of ballots on automatic tabulating equipment provided by the election authority in the same precinct polling place in which those ballots have been cast.

"Marking device" means a pen, computer, or other device approved by the State Board of Elections for marking, or causing to be marked, a paper ballot with ink or other substance which will enable the ballot to be tabulated by automatic tabulating equipment or by an electronic scanning process.

"Precinct Tabulation Optical Scan Technology" means the capability to examine a ballot through electronic means and tabulate the votes at one or more counting places.

"Redundant count" means a verification of the original computer count by another count using compatible equipment or by hand as part of a discovery recount.

"Security designation" means a printed designation placed on a ballot to identify to the computer program the offices and propositions for which votes may be cast and to indicate the manner in which votes cast should be tabulated while negating any inadmissible votes.

"Separate ballot", with respect to ballot sheets, means a separate portion of the ballot sheet which is clearly defined by a border or borders or shading.

"Specimen ballot" means a representation of names of offices and candidates and statements of measures to be voted on which will appear on the official ballot or marking device on election day. The specimen ballot also contains the party and position number where applicable.

"Voting defect identification" means the capability to detect overvoted ballots or ballots which cannot be read by the automatic tabulating equipment.

"Voting defects" means an overvoted ballot, or a ballot which cannot be read by the automatic tabulating equipment.

"Voting system" or "electronic voting system" means that combination of equipment and programs used in the casting, examination and tabulation of ballots and the cumulation and reporting of results by electronic means.

(Source: P.A. 93-574, eff. 8-21-03.)