Key Election Terms and Concepts

Exit Polls: Polling sample of voters as they leave polling places.

Electorate: All eligible voters in a given area.

Absentee Vote: A vote cast early by individuals who cannot be present on Election Day for various reasons.

Returns: Counted ballots submitted to election boards.

Incumbent: Individuals currently holding office.

Recall: A petition-driven process to remove an official from office by citizen vote.

Proposition: Citizens’ initiative to propose new laws or amendments.

Initiative: Placing a law on the ballot if sufficient signatures on a petition are collected.

Referendum: A law proposed directly by citizens for a vote.

Grassroots Movement: Political movements starting spontaneously at the community level.

Party Machine: A party's way to maintain power through unethical practices.

Patronage: Political favors granted to party supporters.

Spoils System: Distribution of government jobs to friends and allies of the powerful, regardless of qualifications.

Merit-Based System: Government employee hiring based on qualifications and merit rather than connections.

Merit-Based Civil Service: Employees chosen for their abilities, not as a result of the spoils system.