Chapter 7, Voting & Elections

district system

the means by which electoral votes are divided between candidates based on who wins districts and/or the state

VEP, voter eligible population

the number of citizens eligible to vote

VAP, voting age population

the number of citizens over eighteen

straight ticket voting

the practice of voting only for candidates from the same party

recall

the removal of a politician or government official by the voters

coattail effect

the result when a popular presidential candidate helps candidates from his or her party win their own elections

ballot fatigue

the result when a voter stops voting for offices and initiatives at the bottom of a long ballot

voter fatigue

the result when voters grow tired of voting and stay home from the polls

platform

the set of issues important to the political party and the party delegates

residency requirement

the stipulation that citizen must live in a state for a determined period of time before a citizen can register to vote as a resident of that state

shadow campaign

a campaign run by political action committees and other organizations without the coordination of the candidate

caucus

a form of candidate nomination that occurs in a town-hall style format rather than a day-long election; usually reserved for presidential elections

top-two primary

a primary election in which the two candidates with the most votes, regardless of party, become the nominees for the general election

Referemdum

a yes or no vote by citizens on a law or candidate proposed by the state government

winner-take-all system

all electoral votes for a state are given to the candidate who wins the most votes in that state

early voting

an accommodation that allows voting up to two weeks before Election Day

open primary

an election in which any registered voter may vote in any party's primary or caucus

closed primary

an election in which only voters registered with a party may vote for that party's candidates

initiative

law or constitutional amendment proposed and passed by the voters and subject to review by the state courts; also called a proposition

Super PAC (Political Action Committee)

officially known as Independent Expenditure-Only Committees; organizations that can fund-raise and spend as they please to support or attack a candidate but not contribute directly to a candidate or strategize with a candidate's campaign

PAC (Political Action Committee)

organizations created to raise money for political campaigns and spend money to influence policy and politics

delegates

party members who are chosen to represent a particular candidate at the party's state- or national-level nominating convention

incumbency advantage

the advantage held by officeholders that allows them to often win reelection

midterm election

the congressional elections that occur in the even-numbered years between presidential election years, in the middle of the president's term

Electoral College

the constitutionally created group of individuals, chosen by the states, with the responsibility of formally selecting the next U.S. president

incumbent

the current holder of a political office

chronic minority

voters who belong to political parties that tend not to be competitive in national elections because they are too small to become a majority or because of the Electoral College system distribution in their state