CANVASS

canvass,vb. 1. To examine in detail; scrutinize <that issue has been repeatedly canvassed by our state’s courts>.2. To formally count ballots and report the returns <canvass the votes>.

“When all the ballots have been collected, including those of the presiding officer, the secretary, and the tellers, the ballots are canvassed by the tellers. Canvassing the ballots means more than just counting. It includes evaluating ballots to identify those that are invalid, blank, cast for illegal nominees, illegible, abstaining, and the like, and reporting the total results to the presiding officer for his announcement of the results.” Ray E. Keesey, Modern Parliamentary Procedure 113 (1994).

3. To solicit political support from voters or a voting district; to take stock of public opinion <the candidate is actively canvassing the Western states>. — canvass,n. [Blacks Law 8th]