new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Scope. new text end

new text begin The definitions in this section apply to this chapter.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Batch elimination. new text end

new text begin "Batch elimination" means a simultaneous defeat of multiple
continuing candidates that have no mathematical chance of being elected.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Cast vote record. new text end

new text begin "Cast vote record" means the tabulatable record of all votes
produced by a single voter in one voting session.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Duplicate ranking. new text end

new text begin "Duplicate ranking" means a voter has ranked the same
candidate at multiple rankings for the office being counted.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Exhausted ballot. new text end

new text begin "Exhausted ballot" means a ballot that can no longer be
advanced under the procedures in section 204E.06.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Highest continuing ranking. new text end

new text begin "Highest continuing ranking" means the ranking
on a voter's ballot with the lowest numerical value for a continuing candidate.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Local election official. new text end

new text begin "Local election official" means the county auditor or
municipal clerk responsible for duties related to election administration in the applicable
jurisdiction.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 8. new text end

new text begin Mathematically impossible to be elected. new text end

new text begin "Mathematically impossible to be
elected" means either:
new text end

new text begin (1) the candidate cannot be elected because the candidate's current vote total plus all
votes that could possibly be transferred to the candidate in future rounds from candidates
with fewer votes or an equal number of votes and surplus votes would not be enough to
surpass the candidate with the next higher current vote total; or
new text end

new text begin (2) the candidate has a lower current vote total than a candidate who is described by
clause (1).
new text end

new text begin Subd. 9. new text end

new text begin Overvote. new text end

new text begin "Overvote" means a voter has ranked more than one candidate at
the same ranking.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 10. new text end

new text begin Partially defective ballot. new text end

new text begin "Partially defective ballot" means a ballot that is
defective to the extent that the election judges are unable to determine the voter's intent with
respect to the office being counted.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 11. new text end

new text begin Ranked-choice voting. new text end

new text begin "Ranked-choice voting" means an election method
in which voters rank candidates for an office in order of their preference, with each vote
counting for the highest-ranked continuing candidate on each ballot until that candidate has
been elected or defeated by the method established in this chapter.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 12. new text end

new text begin Ranked-choice voting tabulation center. new text end

new text begin "Ranked-choice voting tabulation
center" means the place selected for the automatic or manual processing and tabulation of
ballots.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 13. new text end

new text begin Ranking. new text end

new text begin "Ranking" means the number assigned by a voter to a candidate to
express the voter's preference for that candidate. Ranking number one is the highest ranking.
A ranking of lower numerical value indicates a greater preference for a candidate than a
ranking of higher numerical value.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 14. new text end

new text begin Round. new text end

new text begin "Round" means an instance of the sequence of voting tabulation steps
established in section 204E.06.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 15. new text end

new text begin Skipped ranking. new text end

new text begin "Skipped ranking" means a voter has left a ranking blank
and ranks a candidate at a subsequent ranking.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 16. new text end

new text begin Surplus. new text end

new text begin "Surplus" means the total number of votes cast for an elected
candidate in excess of the threshold.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 17. new text end

new text begin Surplus fraction of a vote. new text end

new text begin "Surplus fraction of a vote" means the proportion
of each vote to be transferred when a surplus is transferred. The surplus fraction is calculated
by dividing the surplus by the total votes cast for the elected candidate, calculated to four
decimal places, ignoring any remainder.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 18. new text end

new text begin Threshold. new text end

new text begin "Threshold" means the number of votes sufficient for a candidate
to be elected. In any given election, the threshold equals the total votes counted in the first
round after removing defective ballots, divided by the sum of one plus the number of offices
to be filled and adding one to the quotient, disregarding any fractions.
new text end

new text begin