Absentee ballot: A vote cast by a citizen of a state who cannot be present at a polling place on election day. It is generally reserved for senior citizens and those who work out of state or out of the country, including people serving in the military.

Autonomy: The freedom of an individual or group to make decisions.

Chad : The tiny piece of a ballot that is punched out after a voter uses a stylus to push in and leave a hole to represent his or her choice. In voting districts that use a punch card system, ballots have perforations; when punched with a stylus, the chad is supposed to fall away, leaving a hole that indicates the voter's choice. A machine then recognizes the hole and counts the vote. When a chad does not fall completely off a ballot, machines do not count...