Voting & Elections Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards covering key election terminology, constitutional suffrage amendments, election administration, and Maine candidates based on the study guide.

Midterm Elections

Elections that occur in the middle of a president's term, every four years.

Platform

The medium and ideas through which candidates promote themselves and their values, using tools like websites, videos, and advertisements.

Ranked-choice voting

A voting system where voters rank every candidate on the ballot in order of preference rather than choosing only one candidate.

Ballot

The official medium where votes are placed and submitted to officially cast them in an election.

Campaign

The organized effort through which candidates promote themselves to the general public, showcase issues they support, and outline plans of action.

Candidates

The individuals running for each elected position listed on a ballot.

Incumbent

The person who currently holds the office seat that is up for election.

Absentee ballots

Ballots mailed to voters who are unable to vote in person on the day of the election.

Purpose of voting

Gives people a direct say in decisions affecting them, preventing a single individual from holding absolute power.

15th Amendment (1870)

Constitutional amendment ratified in 1870 that granted free Black men the right to vote.

19th Amendment (1920)

Constitutional amendment ratified in 1920 that granted women the right to vote.

26th Amendment (1971)

Constitutional amendment ratified in 1971 that lowered the legal voting age from 21 to 18.

Voter registration

The mandatory procedure required before voting, which must be updated whenever a person moves or changes their legal name.

State control of elections

Authority held by state governments to oversee and run elections, including managing registration, polling places, and voting procedures.

Federal control of elections

Limited authority restricted to establishing election-related federal laws and enforcing constitutional procedures.

Voting barriers

Obstacles that make casting a ballot difficult, such as overseas military deployment, restrictive work hours, disabilities, distance, or lack of transportation.

Measures to increase voting accessibility

State practices such as providing early voting periods, issuing absentee ballots, and allowing assistance for voters with disabilities.

Maine voting policies

State election laws allowing registered voters both early in-person voting and no-excuse mail-in voting.

Voter ID law concerns

Critiques asserting that strict identification rules disadvantage groups without accepted forms of ID, including elderly citizens, low-income voters, students, and individuals with disabilities.

Hannah Pingree

The Democratic candidate running for Governor in Maine.

Bobby Charles

The Republican candidate running for Governor in Maine.

Troy Jackson

The Democratic candidate running for Senate in Maine.

Susan Collins

The Republican candidate running for Senate in Maine.

Chellie Pingree

The Democratic candidate running for Maine's House of Representatives District 1.

Ronald Russell

The Republican candidate running for Maine's House of Representatives District 1.

Matthew Dunlap

The Democratic candidate running for Maine's House of Representatives District 2.

Paul LePage

The Republican candidate running for Maine's House of Representatives District 2.