Elections Glossary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key election-related terms and definitions from the provided glossary.

acceptance speech

speech delivered by a candidate when accepting a political party's nomination for the national presidential election

absolute majority

more than 50% of the votes cast

bipartisan

supported by members of the two major political parties (the Democrats and the Republicans)

ballot

official paper or electronic form on which voters indicate choices of candidates and ballot measures

campaign

process of gathering public support for a candidate

campaign season

period of time that candidates work to inform the public and gain support prior to the election

candidate

person running for elected office

caucus

meetings where political party leaders and supporters choose candidates through discussion and consensus

centrist

having beliefs that are in the middle, between conservative and liberal

closed primary

a primary election in which only the voters who have registered as belonging to a particular political party can vote

congressional district

an area within a state from which a member of the House of Representatives is elected. There are 435 Congressional districts.

conservative

believing in the value of established and traditional practices and less federal government involvement in people's lives

contributor / donor

a person or organization that donates money to a candidate's campaign