Terms Used In Iowa Code > Chapter 52 - Voting Systems

• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Automatic tabulating equipment: means apparatus, including but not limited to electronic data processing machines, that are utilized to ascertain the manner in which optical scan ballots have been marked by voters or by electronic ballot marking devices, and count the votes marked on the ballots. See Iowa Code 52.1
• Ballot: includes paper ballots designed to be read by automatic tabulating equipment. See Iowa Code 52.1
• Ballot marking device: means a pen, pencil, or similar writing tool, or an electronic device, all designed for use in marking an optical scan ballot, and so designed or fabricated that the mark it leaves may be detected and the vote so cast counted by automatic tabulating equipment. See Iowa Code 52.1
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Optical scan ballot: means a printed ballot designed to be marked by a voter with a ballot marking device. See Iowa Code 52.1
• Optical scan voting system: means a system employing paper ballots under which votes are cast by voters by marking paper ballots with a ballot marking device and thereafter counted by use of automatic tabulating equipment. See Iowa Code 52.1
• person: means individual, corporation, limited liability company, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Rule: includes "regulation". See Iowa Code 4.1
• state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
• United States: includes all the states. See Iowa Code 4.1
• year: means twelve consecutive months. See Iowa Code 4.1