It’s election season! This means everyone will be stressed while watching election coverage on the first Tuesday of November (Nov. 5). Whether you are young or unfamiliar with politics, have no fear! I’m here to clarify some buzzwords you will be hearing.
Here are 23 election words you will need to know:
1.Absentee ballot
An “absentee ballot” is a vote cast by an individual unable or unwilling to attend the designated polling station.
The person might be voting from a different location or online. Different states have different deadlines for signing up for an absentee ballot. Check for yours if needed.
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2.Vote-by-mail
It’s exactly what it sounds like, but it differs from an absentee ballot. Those signed up for vote-by-mail will automatically mail their ballots to registered voters in the states that have it.
Now, this isn’t the “introvert” vote. One voter may have a different reason than the other, but the common ground is receiving the ballot by mail and returning it after filling it out. That’s the way I did it in 2020!
3.Caucus
The U.S. meaning of “caucus” pertains to a meeting or grouping of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement.
So imagine a room full of people. We’ll call them the Iowa Republican caucus. They would select delegates who are then “pledged” to vote for a particular candidate at the party’s national convention.
What are delegates…?
4.Delegates
Delegates are people authorized to vote on behalf of others in an indirect election. Voters elect them to join the electoral college that elects the president. “Electors” is another word used for them.
Now, who graduates from the Electoral College? (Lol) That’s not quite how it works.
5.Poll worker
A poll worker is an official responsible for the proper and orderly voting at polling stations. They can also be called an election official, officer, judge, or clerk.
It is a non-partisan position and a vital job for the process of our democracy.
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6.Poll watcher
There is no funny business with these people around. Poll watchers are stationed to ensure nothing illegal happens during the voting process.
They protect against illegal voting, fraudulent ballot counting, and other violations of election laws.
7.Electoral College
No, it’s not school…it’s a process.
A group of people is responsible for electing a candidate into a particular office. Each state has a different number of members based on population size. For example, Rhode Island has four electoral votes, whereas California has 54.
This all means something for the electoral vote.
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8.Popular vote
The U.S. Presidential Election isn’t a popularity contest with this current format. The “Popular vote” refers to the winner of this country’s total number of votes. There are no bells and whistles with these results. The winner of the most U.S. votes wins the popular vote.
Which system do you prefer? Comment and discuss in the comment section below (be civil)!
9.Electoral vote
An electoral vote is simply a vote cast by a member of the Electoral College. Remember how I mentioned California having 54 electoral votes? If California goes blue as expected, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris would receive those 54 electoral votes.
270 electoral votes will be the finish line for the next President of the United States.
10.Write-in candidate
A “write-in candidate” is a candidate who is not listed on the ballot but seeks election by asking voters to write in their name, which is a “write-in vote.”
These votes are often used as protest votes or for a candidate who lost in the primaries. For example, Bernie Sanders received a large number of write-in votes despite not being a “write-in candidate.”
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11.Down-ballot
A “down-ballot” is a contest for a political office that appears lower on the ballot. The ballot typically lists contested offices in descending order from national to local.
These close races are just as important as any other, so do your research!
12.Voter intimidation
Since 2020, there have been reports of more threats, politicization, and violence surrounding the election process. Voter intimidation is when people at polling stations use threats, coercion, or attempts to intimidate or interfere with a person’s right to vote for their chosen candidate.
The same goes for election workers. Be sure to report someone if you see anything that could be considered voter intimidation at your voting location. It’s a bipartisan issue; stand up for your fellow voters if they are confronted with intimidation.
13.Gerrymandering
Often criticized, gerrymandering refers to the political manipulation of electoral district boundaries to create an unfair advantage for a party, group, or socioeconomic class within the constituency.
Those who accuse other districts of this claim they are cheating the map to garner more votes for a particular zone.
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14.Exit poll
Do you know those people who bug you after you walk out of a movie theater, asking what you thought of it? That’s an exit poll for an election.
It’s simply pollers trying to gauge a result by gathering information from people who are literally leaving the polling station.
Remember to be nice to these people. They are simply doing their job.
15.Proxy voting
Proxy voting allows a member of a decision-making body to delegate their voting power to a representative for voting in their absence, who may be another member of the same body or external.
In the United States, it is common for investment advisers to vote proxies on behalf of their client accounts.
16.Election committee
The election organizers are the election committee. A Board of Directors appoints an election committee to conduct the election of the President and the Directors and to conduct such other voting procedures and elections as provided for in these Bylaws.
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17.Block Voting
Block Voting is a system in which a voter can select as many candidates as there are open seats. An excellent example of this being important is for council seats. More than one person can be elected because of your block vote, so in most cases, the top three vote-getters will win a seat. You, the voter, can vote for more than one candidate for the same seat.
This is also called “plurality-at-large voting” or “multiple non-transferable voting.”
18.Gubernatorial
One term you will often hear on election night is “gubernatorial.” It simply means relating to a state governor or the governor’s office. To put it plainly, it’s a term used for governor elections.
Term limits vary for governors in each state.
19.Incumbent
An incumbent is the individual currently holding or acting in the position up for election, regardless of whether they are seeking re-election. This year is a peculiar case in the Presidential Election where no incumbent will be on the ballot. Current Vice President Harris is running for President as the Democratic nominee, so there will be a transition of power no matter what.
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20.Lobbying
“Lobbying for” a particular political candidate or outcome simply means a person or entity is expressing support (and typically donating money) for said person or action. Organizing a campaign or calling an official is an act of “lobbying.”
So basically, any attempt to influence the decisions of the government.
21.Super PAC
A Super PAC (Political Action Committee) is an independent entity that can raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, and individuals. However, it cannot contribute to or coordinate directly with parties or candidates.
You’ll often hear talking heads and voters criticize the presence of Super PACs in politics, including the call to keep these giant sums of money out of the election process.
22.Independent voter
The two-party system has ruled the United States. An independent voter is often mistaken for a party member, but it is quite the opposite. They are someone registered as unaffiliated to any party. This does not mean that independent voters don’t have more liberal or conservative leanings, but they choose not to devote themselves to a single party.
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23.Recount
It’s exactly what it sounds like, but it’s a crucial part of the election process. A recount is a re-tabulation of votes cast in an election to verify the accuracy of the initial count.
This will often happen after a razor-thin percentage determines an election. The rules for calling a recount vary at the state level. Accuracy matters, and everyone wants to make sure the count is correct. Only three U.S. recounts have led to a result change this century, which has never happened for the presidential election.
Is there an election word or phrase you don’t understand? Comment below and hopefully the Buzzfeed Community can offer a hand!
