- From the Texas SOS: Glossary of Elections Terminology.
- advanced or early voting:
. . . a convenience voting process by which voters in a public election can vote before a scheduled election day. Early voting can take place remotely, such as via postal voting, or in person, usually in designated early voting polling stations. The availability and time periods for early voting vary among jurisdictions and types of election. The goals of early voting are usually to increase voter participation, relieve congestion at polling stations on election day, and avoid possible discrimination against people with work and travel schedules that may effectively prohibit them from getting to the polls during the hours provided in a single election day.
- - VoteTexas.gov - Early Voting:
- - National Conference of State Legislatures - Early In-Person Voting.
- - Texas State Law Library - Absentee & Early Voting.
- blanket or wide-open primary:
a system used for selecting political party candidates in a primary election, used in Argentina and historically in the United States. In a blanket primary, voters may pick one candidate for each office without regard to party lines; for instance, a voter might select a Democratic candidate for governor and a Republican candidate for senator. In a traditional blanket primary the candidates with the highest number of votes for each office in each party advance to the general election, as the respective party's nominee. Blanket primaries differ from open primaries – in open primaries voters may pick candidates regardless of their own party registration, but may only choose among candidates from a single party of the voter's choice. A blanket primary gives registered voters maximum choice in selecting candidates among those systems that separate primary from general elections. Blanket primary elections also serve as polls for the general elections, revealing the portion of votes that the candidates are expected to receive in them.
- casework:
The term “casework” refers to assistance provided by members of Congress (or the Texas Legislature) to constituents who need help while filing a grievance with the federal government or a federal agency.
In a lot of cases, constituents don’t know how to get help if they have an issue relating to federal government services or a problem with federal programs. Casework gives these constituents a chance to seek that help from their representatives in Washington.
- closed primary:
an election to select candidates to run for public office. Primaries may be closed (partisan), allowing only declared party members to vote, or open (nonpartisan), enabling all voters to choose which party’s primary they wish to vote in without declaring any party affiliation. Primaries may be direct or indirect. A direct primary, which is now used in some form in all U.S. states, functions as a preliminary election whereby voters decide their party’s candidates. In an indirect primary, voters elect delegates who choose the party’s candidates at a nominating convention.
- - National Conference of State Legislatures: State Primary Election Types.
- credit claiming: To claim credit for something that benefits constituents "If it is assumed that Members of Congress (MCs) are single-minded seekers of reelection, then we would predict that MCs would devote substantial resources to three basic activities: Advertising (making yourself seen, e.g. franking, ribbon-cutting ceremonies, speeches, interviews), credit claiming (particularistic policies, pork, casework, etc), and position taking (using role call votes and speeches to stake out a popular position more than to change policy). "
- cross-filing: cross-filing (similar to the concept of electoral fusion) occurs when a candidate runs in the primary election of not only their own party, but also that of one or more other parties,[1] generally in the hope of reducing or eliminating their competition at the general election. It was in effect in California from 1913 to 1959, when it was abolished, and has been used in other states, most significantly in New York and New Hampshire, where it is still in effect.
- direct primary: A direct primary is a primary in which voters choose candidates via direct vote. This is contrasted with an indirect primary, in which voters choose delegates who then choose a party's candidates at a later convention. An example of a direct primary is the Pennsylvania state primary, in which voters vote directly for candidates for congressional and state-level office. An example of an indirect primary is the presidential preference primary.[
- disclosure: Individuals and organizations that act in a political forum — officeholders, candidates, donors, and interest groups promoting or opposing issues during election cycles — are subject to government-mandated disclosure requirements. These requirements allow interested parties, such as the media and the public, to examine records otherwise hidden from them. The result is closer scrutiny of facts and figures and of the relationships between political actors.
- equal protection clause: The Supreme Court’s equal protection jurisprudence as applied to voting laws has most prominently been developed in the context of redistricting. The Supreme Court has interpreted the Constitution to require that electoral districts within a redistricting map contain an approximately equal number of persons, which is known as the equality standard or the principle of one person, one vote.
- general election: A general election is an election in which candidates are elected to offices. This is in contrast to a primary election, which is used either to narrow the field of candidates for a given elective office or to determine the nominees for political parties in advance of a general election. Generally, candidates for a general election are chosen via a primary election, but this is not always the case.
- grandfather clause: The term originated in late 19th-century legislation and constitutional amendments passed by a number of Southern U.S. states, which created new requirements for literacy tests, payment of poll taxes and residency and property restrictions to register to vote. States in some cases exempted those whose ancestors (i.e., grandfathers) had the right to vote before the American Civil War or as of a particular date from such requirements. The intent and effect of such rules was to prevent former African-American slaves and their descendants from voting but without denying poor and illiterate whites the right to vote.
- incumbent: The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-election or not. In some situations, there may not be an incumbent at time of an election for that office or position (ex; when a new electoral division is created), in which case the office or position is regarded as vacant or open. In the United States, an election without an incumbent is referred to as an open seat or open contest.
- independent candidate: An independent or non-partisan politician is a politician not affiliated with any political party or bureaucratic association. There are numerous reasons why someone may stand for office as an independent.
Some politicians have political views that do not align with the platforms of any political party, and therefore choose not to affiliate with them. Some independent politicians may be associated with a party, perhaps as former members of it, or else have views that align with it, but choose not to stand in its name, or are unable to do so because the party in question has selected another candidate. Others may belong to or support a political party at the national level but believe they should not formally represent it (and thus be subject to its policies) at another level. In some cases, a politician may be a member of an unregistered party, and therefore officially recognised as an independent.
Independents sometimes choose to form a party, alliance, or technical group with other independents, and may formally register that organization. Even where the word "independent" is used, such alliances can have much in common with a political party, especially if there is an organization which needs to approve the "independent" candidates.
- - Texas SOS: Running as an Independent Candidate in 2022.
- - Texas SOS: Independent Candidates.
- literacy test: A literacy test assesses a person's literacy skills: their ability to read and write. Literacy tests have been administered by various governments, particularly to immigrants. In the US, between the 1850s[1] and 1960s, literacy tests administered to voters had the effect of disenfranchising African Americans and other groups with diminished access to education.
- majority election: A majority voting system is an electoral system in which the winner of an election is the candidate that received more than half of the votes cast. In the event that no candidate wins an outright majority, a runoff election is held between the top two vote-getters. For this reason, majority systems are sometimes referred to as two-round systems.
- Motor Voter Act: a United States federal law signed into law by President Bill Clinton on May 20, 1993, that came into effect on January 1, 1995.[1] The law was enacted under the Elections Clause of the United States Constitution and advances voting rights in the United States by requiring state governments to offer simplified voter registration processes for any eligible person who applies for or renews a driver's license or applies for public assistance, and requiring the United States Postal Service to mail election materials of a state as if the state is a nonprofit.[2] The law requires states to register applicants that use a federal voter registration form, and prohibits states from removing registered voters from the voter rolls unless certain criteria are met.
- open primary: An open primary is a type of primary election where voters do not have to formally affiliate with a political party in advance in order to vote in its primary. In some cases, voters can declare their affiliation with a party at the polls on the day of the primary, even if those voters were previously affiliated with a different party.
- party-line voting: in a deliberative assembly (such as a constituent assembly, parliament, or legislature) is a vote in which a substantial majority of members of a political party vote the same way (usually in opposition to the other political party(ies) whose members vote the opposite way).
Sources vary on what proportion of party members must adhere to the party line in order for the vote to constitute a "party-line" vote. For example, in the United States, the Congressional Record has stated: "A party-line vote is one on which a majority of Republicans vote one way and a majority of Democrats vote another. 2. A bipartisan vote is one in which a majority of Republicans and a majority of Democrats vote the same way".
- party primary: a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the country and administrative divisions within the country, voters might consist of the general public in what is called an open primary, or solely the members of a political party in what is called a closed primary. In addition to these, there are other variants on primaries (which are discussed below) that are used by many countries holding elections throughout the world.
The origins of primary elections can be traced to the progressive movement in the United States, which aimed to take the power of candidate nomination from party leaders to the people.
- plurality election: electoral systems in which a candidate(s), who poll more than any other counterpart (that is, receive a plurality), are elected. In systems based on single-member districts, it elects just one member per district and may also be referred to as first-past-the-post (FPTP), single-member plurality (SMP/SMDP),[1] single-choice voting[citation needed] (an imprecise term as non-plurality voting systems may also use a single choice), simple plurality[citation needed] or relative majority (as opposed to an absolute majority, where more than half of votes is needed, this is called majority voting). A system which elects multiple winners elected at once with the plurality rule, such as one based on multi-seat districts, is referred to as plurality block voting.
- poll tax: also known as head tax or capitation, is a tax levied as a fixed sum on every liable individual (typically every adult), without reference to income or resources.[1] Poll is an archaic term for "head" or "top of the head". The sense of "counting heads" is found in phrases like polling place and opinion poll. Prior to the mid 20th century, a poll tax was implemented in some U.S. state and local jurisdictions and paying it was a requirement before one could exercise one's right to vote. After this right was extended to all races by the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution, many Southern states enacted poll taxes as a means of excluding African-American voters, most of whom were poor and unable to pay a tax.
- position taking: Politicians get "reward for taking positions rather than achieving effects"
- preference primary: a primary election in which a voter indicates a preference for a particular candidate to be a party's nominee for the presidency. Caucuses may also be conducted as part of the presidential nominating process. In general, a state's presidential preference primary or caucus is not a direct election; that is, voters do not select the party's nominee directly, but instead vote for delegates who will then vote for the preferred candidate at the party's national convention, where the presidential nominee is formally selected. Presidential preference primaries are conducted by the state in accordance with state laws; caucuses, by contrast, are conducted by the parties themselves.
- primary election: Primary elections allow voters to determine which candidates compete in the general election and can be nonpartisan or partisan. Nonpartisan and all-party primaries are used to narrow a wider field of candidates for a nonpartisan office. In partisan primaries, voters choose the candidates they prefer for a political party to nominate in the general election. The laws governing primary elections vary from state to state and can even vary within states by locality and political party. This variation has created a number of different types of partisan primary elections.
- private financing: Some countries rely heavily on private donors to finance political campaigns. These kinds of donations can come from private individuals, as well as groups such as trade unions and for-profit corporations. Tactics for raising money may include direct mail solicitation, attempts to encourage supporters to contribute via the Internet, direct solicitation from the candidate, and events specifically for the purpose of fundraising, or other activities.
Fundraising from private donors is often a significant activity for the campaign staff and the candidate, especially in larger and more prominent campaigns. For example, one survey in the United States found that 23% of candidates for statewide office surveyed say that they spent more than half of their scheduled time raising money. Over half of all candidates surveyed spent at least 1/4 of their time on fundraising.
- public financing: The Federal Election Commission, the agency that oversees federal election financing, defines public financing as the receipt of "federal government funds to pay for the valid expenses of [candidates’] political campaigns in both the primary and general elections."
In plain English, this means if campaigns play by the FEC’s rules, they may use U.S. Treasury dollars to fund their primary and general elections. The amount of Treasury money available is determined by the American people. When we file our taxes, we can choose to check a box to set aside $3 from our taxes to be distributed to qualified candidates. This does not increase anyone’s tax bill or decrease the amount of a refund. The money is taken from the taxes you’re already paying and set aside in the Presidential Election Campaign Fund.
- roll off: What is voter roll-off? Voter roll-off happens when voters submit an incomplete ballot - meaning they only fill out the top of the ticket. With down-ballot races specifically voters are less likely to complete their ballot because they typically know nothing about these races.
Why does it matter? For a local race, voter roll-off or "undervotes" can significantly decrease a candidate's chances of winning. In fact, they can make the difference between a winning and losing candidate.
- runoff election: a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian result, not a simple-plurality result as under first past the post. Under the two-round election system, the election process usually proceeds to a second round only if in the first round no candidate received a simple majority (more than 50%) of votes cast, or some other lower prescribed percentage.[1] Under the two-round system, usually only the two candidates who received the most votes in the first round, or only those candidates who received above a prescribed proportion of the votes, are candidates in the second round. Other candidates are excluded from the second round.
- second-order elections: "second-order" in that they were viewed as less important by voters, parties and the media than first-order elections.
First-order elections are those that determine the government and/or executive power in a political system, i.e., national elections. They are first-order in that they are seen as more important by parties, voters and the media. Local and regional elections are also considered second-order elections.
Second-order elections present the following characteristics: turnout is expected to be lower than in national elections, voters are more prone to vote for protest parties, or parties in the periphery of the political system, rather than the usual mainstream parties they would vote for in a national election. As a result, second-order elections are often used by voters to punish or reward the current governing parties.
- suffrage: the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote).
- voter turnout: the participation rate (often defined as those who cast a ballot) of a given election. This is typically either the percentage of registered voters, eligible voters, or all voting-age people.
- Voting Rights Act of 1965: a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting.[7][8] It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson during the height of the civil rights movement on August 6, 1965, and Congress later amended the Act five times to expand its protections.[7] Designed to enforce the voting rights guaranteed by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, the Act sought to secure the right to vote for racial minorities throughout the country, especially in the South.
- white primary: primary elections held in the Southern United States in which only white voters were permitted to participate. Statewide white primaries were established by the state Democratic Party units or by state legislatures in South Carolina (1896),[1] Florida (1902),[2] Mississippi and Alabama (also 1902), Texas (1905),[3] Louisiana[1] and Arkansas (1906),[4] and Georgia (1900).[5] Since winning the Democratic primary in the South almost always meant winning the general election, barring black and other minority voters meant they were in essence disenfranchised.
