Election Terminology

noun a process of voting, in writing and typically in secret

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• The election officials counted each ballot carefully to ensure accuracy.
• Make sure you fill out your ballot correctly before submitting it.
• I heard they found some fake ballots in the trash.
• In the court of public opinion, each social media post acts as a ballot for popularity.

verb to choose someone for a position by voting

adjective chosen for a position through voting

• The new president was elected by a majority vote.
• My friend got elected as the class president.
• She got elected to be the team captain.
• His charisma and leadership skills elected him as the group's spokesperson.

noun the surrounding region or area

• The police officers patrolled the precincts to ensure safety and security.
• Let's hang out in the precincts downtown, it's always lively there.
• I heard there's a cool party happening in the precincts tonight.
• Within the precincts of her mind, she found solace and peace.

noun a political party in the United States that typically supports conservative policies and values

• The Republican Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States.
• Did you hear about the latest news from the Republican Party?
• The Republican Party is often referred to as the GOP.
• The Republican Party is like a well-oiled machine when it comes to fundraising.

verb to compete against in a race or election

preposition in opposition to

• The candidate decided to run against the incumbent in the upcoming election.
• I heard that Sarah is going to run against Tom for class president.
• Are you seriously going to run against him? Good luck with that!
• Sometimes it feels like I'm constantly running against the clock to meet deadlines.

noun a person or thing that is certain to win or succeed

adjective certain or highly likely to win or succeed

• The candidate with the most experience and qualifications is considered a shoo-in for the job.
• With her impressive track record, she's a shoo-in for the promotion.
• I heard he's a shoo-in for the team because his dad is the coach.
• Her charming personality makes her a shoo-in for winning over the clients.

noun a formal indication of a choice between two or more candidates or courses of action, expressed typically through a ballot or a show of hands

verb to express a formal indication of a choice or opinion

• Citizens have the right to vote in the upcoming election.
• Hey, don't forget to vote in the school council elections!
• Let's all go out and cast our vote for the best candidate!
• Every purchase you make is a vote for the kind of world you want to live in.

noun a German term meaning 'lead candidate' in an election

• The political party selected their spitzenkandidat to lead them in the upcoming election.
• Have you heard who the spitzenkandidat is for the party?
• The spitzenkandidat is like the MVP of the political team.
• In the game of politics, being chosen as the spitzenkandidat is like being handed the captain's armband.

noun a noun phrase consisting of two nouns used together to describe a specific type of election

• The Prime Minister announced that a snap election will be held next month.
• Did you hear about the snap election coming up? It's going to be interesting.
• I can't believe they called for a snap election out of nowhere.
• The sudden decision for a snap election caught everyone off guard.

noun a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot but is written in by voters

verb to vote for a candidate by writing their name on the ballot

• Voters have the option to choose a write-in candidate on their ballot.
• You can always do a write-in vote if you don't like the listed candidates.
• I might just write-in my dog for president as a joke.
• Sometimes you have to be a write-in candidate in your own life and go against the norm.

noun a type of primary election in which only registered party members can vote for their party's candidates

adjective describing the type of primary election

• In a closed primary, only registered party members can participate in selecting the party's candidate.
• You have to be a member of the party to vote in a closed primary.
• No outsiders allowed in a closed primary!
• It's like a private club where only members get to choose in a closed primary.

noun a situation in which a voter selects more options than allowed on a ballot

verb to cast a ballot with more selections than allowed

• The election officials discovered an overvote in the ballot box, leading to a recount of the votes.
• I accidentally made an overvote on my ballot by marking two candidates for the same position.
• Dude, you totally overvoted on that one - you can only choose one candidate!
• Her overvote in the decision-making process caused confusion and delays in the project.

noun refers to the greater part or number; more than half

adjective describing the majority as complete or total

• In order to pass the resolution, we need to secure an absolute majority of votes.
• We need more than half of the votes to win, it's called an absolute majority.
• We gotta crush the vote and get that absolute majority!
• Achieving an absolute majority in the election was like reaching the summit of a mountain.