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 card" means a ballot which is voted by the process of punching.
"Ballot configuration" means the particular combination of political subdivision ballots including, for each political subdivision, the particular combination of offices, candidate names and ballot position numbers for each candidate and question as it appears for each group of voters who may cast the same ballot.
"Ballot labels" means the cards, papers, booklet, pages or other material containing the names of officers and candidates and statements of measures to be voted on.
"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 enclosed 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.
"Ballot" may include ballot cards, ballot labels and paper ballots.
"Separate ballot", with respect to ballot sheets, means a separate portion of the ballot sheet in which the color of the ink used in printing that portion of the ballot sheet is distinct from the color of the ink used in printing any other portion of the ballot sheet.
"Column" in an electronic voting system which utilizes a ballot card means a space on a ballot card for punching the voter's vote arranged in a row running lengthwise on the ballot card.
"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 such 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.
"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.
"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 by which it examines, counts, tabulates, canvasses and prints votes recorded by a voter on a ballot card or other medium.
"Edit listing" means a computer generated listing of the names and ballot position numbers for each candidate and proposition as they appear in the program for each precinct.
"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.
"Header card" means a data processing card which is coded to indicate to the computer the precinct identity of the ballot cards that will follow immediately and may indicate to the computer how such ballot cards are to be tabulated.
"Marking device" means either an apparatus in which ballots or ballot cards are inserted and used in connection with a punch apparatus for the piercing of ballots by the voter, or any approved device for marking a paper ballot with ink or other substance which will enable the ballot to be tabulated by means of automatic tabulating equipment or by an electronic scanning process.
"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 punch" means a punch placed on a ballot card 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.
10 ILCS 5/24A-2