Those results only indicated the total votes for each district; they did not include specific counts from each polling station, and the officials did not bring actual ballots.

Preliminary election results, this is a constantly updated count of actual ballots as they are tallied into the electoral system.

But the state tally of actual ballots showed a more substantial margin for Mr. Bush of 16 percentage points: 53 percent to 37 percent.

County members were usually elected without an actual ballot taking place.

The Defense Department should stop handling actual ballots, and instead help military and other overseas voters send them directly to local elections officials.

That you can only take a look at the actual ballots in order to determine what was the intent of the voter.

For this reason, where there is a consensus among political parties, the President may be elected without the occurrence of an actual ballot.

It remains unclear if the sample ballot published really contained all the elements, including the alignment of the punch holes, that the actual ballot reflected.

When all the squabbling is done, they can sell the actual ballots as souvenirs of the election.

Once verified, the secrecy envelope containing the actual ballot is removed and polled with the other ballots.