Absentee voting
Absentee voting allows voters who cannot come to
polling places to cast their ballots. A variety of circumstances, including
residency abroad, illness, travel or military service, can prevent voters from
coming to the polls on Election Day. Absentee ballots permit registered voters
to mail in their votes. The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act,
a federal law, governs absentee voting in presidential elections. Absentee
voting rules for all other elections are set by the states, and vary. In Oregon,
all elections are conducted by mail, but voters have the option of voting in
person at county polling stations.
Ballot initiative
Ballot initiatives are an example of direct
democracy in the United States, in which citizens may propose legislative
measures or amendments to state constitutions. Some initiatives propose the
repeal of existing state laws. States vary in the number of signatures they
require to place an initiative on the ballot. These initiatives (also called
“propositions” in some states) are subject to approval by a simple majority in
most, but not all, cases. See also Referendum.
Blog
Short for weblog, a blog is an online journal. Candidates use
blogs to tell visitors to their websites about their activities. Others use
blogs to follow the development of campaign issues or events. Political blogs
are created by “bloggers,” individuals who post commentary and news from their
own perspective. Political blogs, like blogs in general, reflect a broad
spectrum of opinion.
Blue state
Blue state is a term used to refer to a U.S. state where
the majority of voters usually support Democratic candidates and causes. See
also Red state.
Buckley v. Valeo
The legal challenge Buckley v.
Valeo resulted in a landmark 1976 U.S. Supreme Court decision on campaign
finance law that upheld the Federal Election Campaign Act’s financial disclosure
requirements, contribution limits and provision for public funding of
presidential election campaigns. The court struck down spending limits in the
law, except for the limits accepted voluntarily by presidential candidates who
receive public funds. Thus, the ruling allowed for unlimited spending by
congressional candidates (they do not receive public funds) and by persons or
groups who campaign for or against a candidate, but who do not coordinate their
activities with any candidate or campaign. The ruling also said that candidates
who do not receive public money do not have to limit campaign spending of their
own personal funds. See also McCain-Feingold.
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting at the local level in which registered
members of a political party in a city, town or county gather to express support
for candidates. For statewide or national offices, those recommendations are
combined to determine the state party nominee. The term also is used to describe
a group of elected officials with a common goal that meets to plan policy in
support of a shared political agenda. Two well-known examples of such groups are
the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, whose
members discuss and advance the interests of their respective
constituencies.
Challenger
A challenger is a candidate who runs for political
office against a person who currently holds that office (the incumbent). See
also Incumbent.
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
This 2010
Supreme Court decision affirmed shareholders and other groups of people enjoy
the same rights that they would have if they were acting as individuals. The
court also ruled that the government cannot restrict how much such groups can
spend to support or criticize political candidates. See also Super
PAC.
Closed Primary
Candidates from the two major political parties
(Democratic and Republican) compete to be their parties’ nominee for an office
in a primary election. Closed primaries are restricted to voters registered as a
member of the party holding the election. Unaffiliated voters receive ballots
for other measures and nonpartisan contests that occur on the same date. See
also Primary.
Coattails
The expression “coattails” is an allusion to the rear
panels (or “tails”) of a man’s coat. In American politics, it refers to the
ability of a popular officeholder or candidate for office, on the strength of
his or her own popularity, to increase the chances for victory of other
candidates of the same political party. This candidate is said to carry others
to victory on his or her coattails.
Convention
In presidential election years, after state primaries
and caucuses have concluded, the political parties gather to select a
presidential nominee — usually the candidate who secured the support of the most
convention delegates, based on victories in primary elections. The presidential
nominee usually chooses a running mate to be the candidate for vice president,
but the presidential nominee can throw open the vice presidential selection
process to the convention delegates without making a recommendation.
Convention bounce
An increase in a presidential
candidate’s popularity, as indicated by public-opinion polls, in the days
immediately following his or her nomination for office at a national
convention.
Constituency
The people a government official represents make up
his or her constituency. The term sometimes is used to refer only to those
individuals who voted to elect the official. The president’s constituency
comprises all Americans; a mayor’s constituency comprises the people who reside
in the town or city.
Debate
A structured discussion involving two or more opposing sides
is a debate. In American politics, debates have come to be associated with
televised programs at which candidates present their own and their parties’
views in response to questions from the media or members of the audience.
Debates also may be held via radio, the Internet or at a community meeting
place. They can be held among those who seek elective office at any level of
government.
Divided government
A situation in which the U.S. president is a
member of one political party and at least one chamber of Congress (either the
Senate or the House of Representatives) is controlled by another party is called
a divided government. This situation also can exist at the state level, with one
party controlling the governorship and another controlling the state
legislature. Divided government occurs frequently in the U.S. political
system.
Election Assistance Commission
Established by the Help America Vote
Act of 2002, the Election Assistance Commission serves primarily as a national
clearinghouse and resource for information on elections. It also reviews federal
election administration and procedures.
Electoral College
The president and vice president are selected
through the electoral college system, which gives each state the same number of
electoral votes as it has members of Congress. The District of Columbia gets
three electoral votes. Of the total 538 votes available, a candidate must
receive 270 to win.
Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA)
A 1971 law that governs the
financing of federal elections, the Federal Election Campaign Act was amended in
1974, 1976 and 1979. The act requires candidates and political committees to
disclose the sources of their funding and how they spend their money; it
regulates the contributions received and expenditures made during federal
election campaigns; and it governs the public funding of presidential
elections.
Federal Election Commission (FEC)
This independent regulatory
agency is charged with administering and enforcing federal campaign finance law.
The FEC consists of six commissioners appointed by the president with the advice
and consent of the Senate. The FEC was established by the 1974 amendment to the
Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971.
Front-loading
The practice of scheduling state party
caucuses and state primary elections early in the calendar year, well in advance
of the general election, is called front-loading. By moving its primary to an
early date, a state hopes to lend decisive momentum to its preferred
presidential candidate and thus have disproportionate influence on a party’s
nomination.
Front-runner
A candidate in any election or nomination process who
is considered most popular or most likely to win is called the front-runner.
Gridlock
In politics, when a political party or faction creates
obstacles that block or severely hinder compromise on legislation or policy
issues, the situation is described as gridlock.
Hard money/Soft money
Hard money and soft money are terms used to
differentiate between campaign funding that is, and is not, regulated under
federal campaign finance law. Hard money describes donations by individuals and
groups made directly to political candidates running for federal office. Such
contributions are restricted by law. Soft money refers to donations not
regulated by law that can be spent only on civic activities such as
voter-registration drives, party-building activities, administrative costs and
in support of state and local candidates. “Soft money” contributions, by law,
may not be used to directly support a candidate for federal office. The U.S.
Supreme Court in 2003 upheld congressional restrictions passed in 2002 on soft
money contributions. See also McCain-Feingold.
Hatch Act
The Hatch Act places restrictions on political activity
by employees of the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, District of
Columbia government, and state and local employees who work in connection with
federally funded programs. Under the act, employees are permitted to contribute
to a candidate’s campaign, but are restricted from using official authority to
influence an election, including soliciting or receiving political contributions
and engaging in political activity — including wearing or displaying political
promotional materials — while on duty. Employees covered by the Hatch Act may
run for office in a nonpartisan election, such as many school board elections,
but are prohibited from running in a partisan election.
Help America Vote Act (HAVA)
Congress passed HAVA to address voting
problems encountered in the 2000 presidential election. The act encourages state
and local governments to eliminate punch-card and lever voting machines. Under
HAVA, states have received $2.9 billion since 2003 to improve their election
processes. The law also established the Election Assistance Commission to
provide support to the administration of federal elections, as well as election
laws and programs.
Horse race
Used as a metaphor for an election campaign, “horse
race” is used to describe a close contest and conveys the feeling of excitement
that people experience when watching a sporting event.
Incumbent
An individual currently holding a position is the
incumbent. Historically, incumbents have enjoyed a better-than-average chance of
being re-elected.
Independent
A candidate or voter not affiliated with a particular
political party is termed an independent.
Lame duck
The term lame duck refers to an elected official during
the time period between the election that chose the official’s successor and the
date the successor assumes office. Such an individual is in a weakened position
politically due to the impending expiration of his or her term.
Landslide
A victory in which one candidate’s votes far surpass
those of other candidates is called a landslide.
Matching funds or public funding
Public money can be given to
presidential candidates who agree to limit their spending on the campaign.
Contributions from individuals in which the aggregate amount contributed by the
individual is $250 or less are eligible to be matched on a dollar- for-dollar
basis from the Presidential Election Campaign Fund. This fund includes proceeds
from the voluntary check-off of $3 per person from income tax returns of
eligible taxpayers. See also Taxpayer check-off system.
McCain-Feingold
Formally titled the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act,
the McCain-Feingold law is named after its two chief Senate sponsors, John
McCain, a Republican from Arizona, and Russell Feingold, a Democrat from
Wisconsin, who sought to remove “soft money” as an influence on candidates
running for federal office. The law eliminated “loopholes” (or legislative
oversights) that in the past allowed the use of soft money to aid candidates
running for federal office. See also Hard money/Soft money.
Negative ads
These advertisements try to persuade voters to choose
a candidate by making the opposing candidate look bad, by attacking either the
opponent’s character or record on the issues.
Nominee
A person selected by others to run for office is the
nominee. Nominees may be selected in primary elections or caucuses. When only
one candidate from a party has filed to run for a political office, that
candidate becomes the party’s nominee without any further selection process.
Open primary
An open primary is one in which all registered voters
may vote, regardless of whether they are registered as Democrats, Republicans or
Independents. See also Primary.
Platform
Platform refers to a political party’s formal written
statement of its principles and goals, put together and issued during the
presidential nomination process and affirmed during the party’s national
political convention. Less formally, it can also refer to a candidate’s position
on a set of political issues.
Plurality
A plurality is one method of identifying the winning
candidate in an election. A plurality occurs when the votes received by a
candidate are greater than those received by any opponent but can be less than a
majority of the total vote. For example, if one candidate receives 30 percent of
the votes, a second candidate also receives 30 percent and a third receives 40
percent, the third candidate could win the election by a plurality of the
votes.
Political Action Committee (PAC)
PACs are political committees not
related directly to a political party, but rather affiliated with corporations,
labor unions or other organizations. The committees contribute money to
candidates and engage in other election-related activities so as to promote
specific legislative agendas. Funds are gathered by voluntary contributions from
members, employees or shareholders. PACs have increased significantly in
influence and number in recent years: In 1976, there were 608 PACs; in 2010,
there were about 5,400.
Poll/Polling
A public opinion poll is created when a polling firm
contacts a sample group of randomly selected citizens and asks a series of
standard questions. If executed properly, the poll’s data reflect the range of
opinions and the portion of the population that holds them in a manner
representative of the full population. Public opinion polls provide an idea of
what many Americans think about various candidates and issues. See also Push
polling.
Primary
A state-level election in which voters choose a candidate
affiliated with a political party to run against a candidate who is affiliated
with another political party in a later, general election. A primary may be
either “open” — allowing any registered voter in a state to vote for a candidate
to represent a political party, or “closed” — allowing only registered voters
who belong to a particular political party to vote for a candidate from that
party. See also Closed primary and Open primary.
Proposition
See Ballot initiative and Referendum.
Protest vote
A vote for a third-party candidate made, not
to elect that candidate, but to indicate displeasure with the candidates of the
two major political parties.
Public funding
See Matching funds.
Push polling
A public-opinion polling technique that is used to
test possible campaign themes by asking very specific questions about an issue
or a candidate is call push polling. See also Poll/Polling.
Redistricting
The process of redrawing the geographic boundaries of
congressional districts, the electoral districts within states from which
members of the House of Representatives are elected, is called redistricting.
Democrats and Republicans at the state level compete to get hold of the legal
and political mechanisms of redistricting — usually by controlling the state
legislature. By doing so, they can redraw boundaries of congressional districts
in ways that will lend an electoral advantage to their own party.
Red state
Red state refers to a U.S. state where the majority of
voters usually support Republican candidates and causes. See also Blue
state.
Referendum
A measure referred to voters by a state legislature
proposing that specific legislation be approved or rejected is a referendum. The
terms referendum, proposition and ballot initiative frequently are used
interchangeably.
Single-member district
Single-member district describes the current
arrangement for electing national and state legislators in the United States in
which one candidate is elected in each legislative district; the winner is the
candidate with the most votes. The “single-member” system allows only one party
to win in any given district. Under the proportional system popular in Europe,
much larger districts are used and several members are elected at one time,
based on the proportion of votes their parties receive.
Soft money
See Hard money/Soft money.
Sound bite
A sound bite is a brief, very quotable remark by a
candidate for office that is repeated on radio and television news programs.
Negative ads frequently use sound bites to highlight an unpopular stance
taken by an opposing candidate.
Spin doctor
A media adviser or political consultant employed by a
campaign to ensure that a candidate receives the best possible publicity in any
given situation is called a spin doctor. When these media advisers practice
their craft, they are said to be “spinning” or putting “spin” on a situation or
event to present it as favorably as possible for their side.
Straw poll/vote
An unofficial vote that is used either to predict
the outcome of an official vote or to measure the relative strength of
candidates for office in a future election is called a straw poll or straw vote.
A good showing in a straw vote can give a candidate a boost, but does not
necessarily predict later success.
Swing voters
Voters not loyal to a particular political party
sometimes can determine the outcome of an election by “swinging” one way or the
other on an issue or candidate. Swing voters often reverse their choices in a
subsequent election.
Super PAC
This type of political action committee (PAC) is allowed
to raise an unlimited amount of money from donors who can choose to remain
anonymous. Super PACs are not allowed to donate directly to individual campaigns
or coordinate with candidates or political parties. See Citizens United v.
Federal Election Commission.
Super Tuesday
Widespread use of the phrase “Super Tuesday” dates
from 1988, when a group of Southern states banded together to hold the first
large and effective regional group of primaries in order to boost the importance
of Southern states in the presidential nomination process and lessen the impact
of early votes in the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary. Today, the meaning
of the phrase is blurred, a reflection of the fact that, during the presidential
primary season, there may be several groups of state primaries in various
regions falling on one or more Tuesdays. These groupings are important because
the weight of such a large, simultaneous vote tends to make or break would-be
presidential nominees because so many convention delegates are selected at once.
In 2012, Super Tuesday is March 6 but, because some states have moved their
primaries to earlier dates, it will be less “super” than in past elections.
Taxpayer check-off system
The taxpayer check-off system allows U.S.
taxpayers to contribute $3 of their annual federal income tax payment to a
public fund for financing presidential elections. To contribute, taxpayers
simply check a box on their tax return that says that they want to participate
in this system. Making the contribution does not raise or lower an individual’s
taxes; it simply deposits $3 of the tax payment into the presidential election
campaign fund. See also Matching funds.
Term limits
Term limits involve restricting the number of years an
officeholder or lawmaker may serve in a particular office. There is a term limit
for the U.S. president, who may serve no more than two consecutive terms, or
eight years total. There are no term limits for those who serve in the U.S.
Senate or House of Representatives. Some state and local offices are subject to
terms limits.
Third party
Any political party that is not one of the two parties
that have dominated U.S. politics since the late 19th century — the Republican
Party and the Democratic Party — and that receives a base of support and plays a
role in influencing the outcome of an election is referred to as a third
party.
Ticket splitting
Voting for candidates of different political
parties in the same election, for instance by voting for a Democrat for
president and a Republican for senator, is called splitting the ticket. Because
these voters support candidates from more than one political party, they are
said to “split” their votes.
Town hall meeting
A town hall meeting is an informal gathering of
an officeholder or candidate for office with a group of people, often local, in
which the audience directly questions the officeholder or candidate.
Tracking survey
A type of public-opinion poll that allows
candidates to follow or “track” voters’ sentiments over the course of a campaign
is called a tracking survey. For the initial survey, the pollster interviews the
same number of voters on three consecutive nights — for example, 400 voters a
night for a total sample of 1,200 people. On the fourth night, the pollster
interviews 400 more voters, adds their responses to the poll data, and drops the
responses from the first night. Continuing in this way, the sample rolls along
at a constant 1,200 responses drawn from the previous three nights. Over time,
the campaign can analyze the data from the entire survey and observe the effect
of certain events on voters’ attitudes. See also Poll/Polling.