WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT POLITICS...BUT DON'T ELECTIONS

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to elections, voting, and campaign finance as described in the notes.

Electoral College

A body of 538 electors chosen by states to elect the president and vice president; electors meet about 41 days after the election; the winner of the popular vote in a state typically gets that state’s electoral votes.

Faithless elector

An elector who votes for a candidate different from the one chosen by the state's voters.

Plurality

The largest share of votes in an election, not necessarily a majority.

Majority

More than half of the votes cast.

Swing state

A state where the outcome is uncertain and can swing the election to either major party.

Butterfly ballot

A ballot design used in Florida in 2000 that could lead voters to misselect a candidate.

Hanging chads

Partial punched ballots that did not detach cleanly, causing counting disputes.

Recount

A formal re-counting of votes to verify the results of an election.

Bush v. Gore

The 2000 Supreme Court ruling that halted the Florida recount, effectively deciding the presidency.

Help America Vote Act (HAVA)

A 2002 law that funds modernization of voting systems and standardizes election procedures.

Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting machines

Touchscreen voting machines that record votes electronically; raise concerns about security and auditability.

Paper trail

A physical record of votes used to audit and verify electronic tallies.

Punch-card ballot

Ballots that require punching holes; prone to counting errors if marks fail to register.

Voting Rights Act (1965)

A landmark law prohibiting racial discrimination in voting and banning literacy tests and poll taxes in many contexts.

Preclearance

A requirement under the Voting Rights Act that certain jurisdictions obtain DOJ approval before changing voting practices.

National Voter Registration Act (NVRA)

A 1993 law encouraging voter registration and setting rules about who can register to vote.

Voter ID laws

State requirements to show identification at polling places; debated for potential disenfranchisement of minorities.

McCain-Feingold Act (BCRA)

The 2002 reform that restricted soft money contributions and increased disclosure and hard-money limits.

Soft money

Funds donated to parties or outside groups not directly to a candidate’s campaign; historically less regulated.

Hard money

Direct contributions to a candidate or campaign that are subject to limits.

PAC (Political Action Committee)

A committee that collects contributions to support political campaigns and advocacy, regulated by the FEC.

527s

Tax-exempt organizations that engage in issue advocacy and political activity but are not coordinated with campaigns.

Super PAC

Independent-expenditure committees that may raise unlimited funds to advocate for or against candidates, with no direct coordination with campaigns.

Citizens United v. FEC

The 2010 Supreme Court ruling that allowed unlimited independent political spending by unions and corporations, leading to more influential Super PACs.

FECA

Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 that required disclosure and created the FEC; set early campaign finance rules.

FEC

Federal Election Commission, the six-member agency that enforces campaign finance laws (often gridlocked).

Gerrymandering

Drawing district lines to advantage a political party or group based on demographics and voting patterns.

Vote packing

Concentrating voters of the same group into a few districts to maximize their influence in those districts and dilute others.

Vote cracking

Dividing a group of voters among many districts to dilute their overall impact.

Redistricting

Redrawing electoral district boundaries every ten years after the census to reflect population changes.

Open primary

A primary in which any registered voter can vote in either party’s primary.

Closed primary

A primary in which only registered party members can vote in that party’s primary.

Semi-open primary

An open primary where independent voters can choose which party’s primary to vote in.

Caucus

A local meeting where party members discuss and vote for delegates; includes viability thresholds and realignment.

Delegates

People selected to represent a state at the national party convention; can be pledged or unpledged.

Pledged delegates

Delegates bound by primary or caucus results to support a particular candidate.

Unpledged delegates (superdelegates)

Delegates not bound by primary results, often party insiders who can choose freely.

Superdelegates

Prominent party members who can influence the nomination process without being bound by primaries.

Winner-take-all

A system where the statewide winner receives all of a state’s pledged delegates.

Proportional allocation

Delegates distributed in proportion to the candidate’s share of the vote, common in Democratic primaries.

National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC)

An agreement among states to award their electoral votes to the national popular vote winner once enough states join; activation occurs when states totaling half of the electoral college have joined.