United States Election Day & Voting
independent
A voter or candidate who does not identify with a political party.
Government
The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies
absentee ballot
a ballot completed and typically mailed in advance of an election by a voter who is unable to be present at the polls.
debate
a discussion between people in which they express different opinions about a subject
Democracy
a form of government in which people choose leaders by voting
political party
a group of people that believe and want similar things in government
congress
a group of people who are responsible for making a country's laws
candidate
a person running for political office
Republican
a person that is a member of the Republican Party
Vice President
a person that ranked just below the president
conservative
a person who believes in the value of established and traditional practices in politics and society.
liberal
a person who believes that government should be active in supporting social and political change
campaign
a platform where the candidates say what they believe in and why people should vote for them
voting booth
a small enclosure in which a person votes.
Ballot
a ticket, which can be paper or electronic, used to vote in an election
democrat
someone that is a member of the Democratic Party
Election Day
the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, by law. U.S. presidential elections are held every four years.
president
the head of government in the United States
term
the length of time that a person holds a job in government
electoral votes
the number of votes each state has to vote for the president based on population size.
running mate
the person who will be vice president if their presidential candidate wins the election.
polling place
the place where the voters who live in a certain precinct go to vote
election
the process of voting to choose a winner
vote
to make an official choice for the candidate you want to win by casting a ballot