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7.7: Key Terms

  • Page ID
    153894
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    ballot fatigue
    the result when a voter stops voting for offices and initiatives at the bottom of a long ballot
    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
    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
    closed primary
    an election in which only voters registered with a party may vote for that party’s candidates
    coattail effect
    the result when a popular presidential candidate helps candidates from the same party win their own elections
    delegates
    party members who are chosen to represent a particular candidate at the party’s state- or national-level nominating convention
    district system
    the means by which electoral votes are divided between candidates based on who wins districts and/or the state
    early voting
    an accommodation that allows voting up to two weeks before Election Day
    Electoral College
    the constitutionally created group of individuals, chosen by the states, with the responsibility of formally selecting the next U.S. president
    incumbency advantage
    the advantage held by officeholders that allows them to often win reelection
    incumbent
    the current holder of a political office
    initiative
    law or constitutional amendment proposed and passed by the voters and subject to review by the state courts; also called a proposition
    midterm elections
    the congressional elections that occur in the even-numbered years between presidential election years, in the middle of the president’s term
    open primary
    an election in which any registered voter may vote in any party’s primary or caucus
    platform
    the set of issues important to the political party and the party delegates
    political action committees (PACs)
    organizations created to raise money for political campaigns and spend money to influence policy and politics
    recall
    the removal of a politician or government official by the voters
    referendum
    a yes or no vote by citizens on a law or candidate proposed by the state government
    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
    straight-ticket voting
    the practice of voting only for candidates from the same party
    super PACs
    officially known as Independent Expenditure-Only Committees; organizations that can fundraise 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
    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
    voter fatigue
    the result when voters grow tired of voting and stay home from the polls
    voting-age population
    the number of citizens over eighteen
    voting-eligible population
    the number of citizens eligible to vote
    winner-take-all system
    all electoral votes for a state are given to the candidate who wins the most votes in that state

    7.7: Key Terms is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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