Elections&VotingVocabulary

APATHYLackofinterestorconcern
BALLOTPrintedformorotheritemusedinvoting;markedballotsareputintotheBALLOT
BOX
CAMPAIGNCourseofactiondesignedtoinfluencevotersinanelection
CANDIDATEPersonwhoseeksorisputforwardbyothersforapoliticaloffice
CAUCUSClosedmeetingofpartymemberstodeterminenominations
CITIZENPersonwhowasborninorchoosestoliveinandbecomeamemberofacountry.A
RESIDENTisapersonwholivesinaspecificjurisdiction
COUNTYCOMMISSIONThegoverningbodyofMecklenburgCounty,ledbyCOMMISSIONERS
CONGRESSLegislativegroupconsistingoftheHouseofRepresentativesandtheSenate
CONGRESSIONALDISTRICTApoliticalsubdivisionforthepurposeofelectingU.S.
representatives
CONSTITUENCYAllthevotersofaparticulardistrict
CONVENTIONAformalmeetingofmembersofapartytonominatecandidatestorunfor
president
COUNTYAmajorunitoflocalgovernment
CROSSOVERVOTEAvotebyamemberofonepartyforacandidateofanotherparty
DELEGATEApersongivenpowerorauthoritytovoteforothers;arepresentative
DEMOCRACYGovernmentthatisrunbythepeoplewholiveunderit
DEMOCRATAmemberoftheDemocraticparty,oneofthetwomajorpoliticalparties
ECONOMYThewayacountryproduces,dividesupandusesitsmoneyandgoods
ELECTTochoosebyvoting

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Elections&VotingVocabulary
ELECTIONCAMPAIGNSeriesofoperationsdesignedtowinvotesforacertaincandidate,
partyorproposal
ELECTORALCOLLEGEAgroupofrepresentativeschosenbyvoterstoelectthepresidentand
thevicepresidentoftheUnitedStates
ELECTORATEThoseeligibletovote
ELECTORSTheindividualschosenbythevoterstoelectthepresidentandvicepresidentof
theUnitedStates(eachstateselectorsnumberthesameasitssenatorsandrepresentatives)
FEDERALOfordescribingaunionofstateshavingacentralgovernment
FELONApersonguiltyofacrimemoreseriousthanamisdemeanor
FRANCHISETheconstitutionalrighttovote
GENERALELECTIONStatewideelectionsheldsothatregisteredvoterscandecidethestate
andnationalofficialswhowillheadthegovernment
GERRYMANDERINGThedrawingupofvotingdistrictsinunusualshapesinordertobenefita
certaingroup
GOVERNMENTThegroupofpeopleinchargeofrulingormanagingacountry,state,cityor
otherplace
GOVERNORThepersonelectedtobeheadofthegovernmentofaUnitedStatesstate
GUBERNATORIALELECTIONTheselectionofagovernorbyastatesvoters
HOUSEOFREPRESENTATIVESThelowerhouseoftheCongressconsistingof435members
whoeachservetwoyearterms(andcanbereelected)
INCUMBENTApersoncurrentlyholdingoffice
INDEPENDENTVOTERAvoterwhodoesnotbelongtoapoliticalparty
ISSUESProblemsandideastobetalkedabout,questioned,decideduponandvotedon

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Elections&VotingVocabulary
MAJORPARTYTheDemocraticorRepublicanParty(sometimesthereisaThirdParty,suchas
Libertarian)
NOMINATEToproposeorofferthenameofsomeoneforpoliticaloffice
NOMINEEThepersonthatapoliticalpartynames,ornominates,torepresentitinageneral
election
NONPARTISANNotassociatedwithaparticularpoliticalparty
NONPARTISANELECTIONSElectionsusuallyheldatthestateorlocallevel:thecandidates
partymembershipisnotgivenontheballot
OFFICEApoliticalposition
PARTISANAssociatedwithaparticularpoliticalparty
PARTYAnorganizationworkingtogainpoliticalpowerorcontrol
PARTYPLATFORMStatementoftheprinciplesorbeliefsofapoliticalgroup
PLANKAstandonanissuebyapoliticalparty;plankscompriseapartyplatform
POLITICALAFFILIATIONThepartyinwhichavoterisregistered
POLITICALCARTOONAcartoondevelopedtorepresentaparticularviewthroughhumor
POLITICALPARTYAgroupofpeoplewhojointogetherbecausetheysharemanyideasabout
whatgovernmentshoulddo
POLLSTERPersonorcompanythatresearchespublicopinion
POLLTocollectopinionsaboutimportantissuesorhappenings
POLLINGPLACEPlacewherevotesarecast
POLLSAplacewherevotesarecast
PRESIDENTIALELECTIONAnelectiontochooseapresidentandvicepresident

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Elections&VotingVocabulary
PRIMARYELECTIONPreliminaryelectionsinwhichvoterschoosepartycandidatestorunfor
officeontheirpartyticketingeneralelections
PROPAGANDAIdeasorinformationthatagroupofpeopledeliberatelyspreadtotryto
influencethethinkingofotherpeople
REGISTERTheprocessbywhichapersonsnameisaddedtothelistofeligiblevoters
REPUBLICANMemberoftheRepublicanpoliticalparty,oneofthetwomajorpoliticalparties
SENATETheupperhouseoftheCongress,withtwomembersfromeachstate(100members
total)whoeachservesixyearterms
STATEHOUSE,SENATEANDLEGISLATUREInNC,thestatelegislaturemeetsbiennially;state
housemembersandstatesenatorsrepresentcountiesanddistrictsandeachserve2year
terms
SUFFRAGETherighttovote
VOTEAmethodbywhichpeoplechoosetheirleadersanddecidepublicissues.Tocountthe
votes,youTALLYthevotestofindouttheRETURNS,ortheoverallresultsofavote

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