Chapter 5: Political Attitudes & Participation

Nonpartisan Elections

Elections in which the candidates do not have to declare party affiliation or receive a party's nomination (usually applies to local offices and elections).

Office Group Ballot

A ballot in which candidates are listed by name under the title of the office they are seeking (also known as the Massachusetts ballot).

Party Column Ballot

A ballot in which the names of candidates are divided into columns arranged according to political party (also known as the Indiana ballot).

Plurality

The highest number of votes garnered by any of the candidates for a particular office but short of an outright majority.

Recall

A way for voters to oust an incumbent politician prior to the next regularly scheduled election.

Redistricting

The drawing of new boundaries for congressional and state legislative districts, usually following a decennial census.

Secret Ballot

A ballot printed by a state that allows voters to pick and choose among different candidates and party preferences in private (also known as the Australian ballot).

Straight Ticket

Originally, a type of ballot that allowed voters to pick all of one party's candidates at once; today, this refers to voting for all of one party's candidates for various offices—for instance, voting for all Democrats or all Republicans.

Voter Turnout

The percentage of voting-eligible citizens who register to vote and do vote.