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Elections terms
Campaigns, polls and results.
Apportionment The allocation of the 435 House seats among the states according to population counted in each census. Caucus A meeting of party members to choose candidates or delegates, or a group of legislators who share a party or interest. Citizens United v. FEC The 2010 Supreme Court ruling that the First Amendment bars limits on independent political spending by corporations and unions. Closed primary A primary election in which only voters registered with a party may take part in that party's nomination contest. Coattail effect The tendency of a popular candidate at the top of the ticket to boost the vote for other candidates of the same party. Contingent election The procedure by which the House chooses the president, one vote per state delegation, when no candidate wins an Electoral College majority. Dark money A label for political spending by groups, such as certain nonprofits, that do not have to disclose the original donors. Early voting A system allowing voters to cast ballots in person at designated sites during a period before Election Day. Electoral College The constitutional system in which states' electors, not a direct national vote, formally choose the president and vice president. Electoral Count Act The federal law governing how Congress counts electoral votes, revised in 2022 after the January 6 disputes. Faithless elector A presidential elector who votes for someone other than the candidate they were pledged or expected to support. Gerrymandering Drawing electoral district lines to give one party or group an advantage, typically by packing or cracking opposing voters. Incumbency advantage The electoral edge enjoyed by sitting officeholders over challengers, driven by name recognition, resources and other factors. Majority-minority district A legislative district in which racial or ethnic minority voters make up a majority, often created to comply with the Voting Rights Act. Midterm election The general election held midway through a president's four-year term, in which all House seats and about a third of Senate seats are contested. National Popular Vote Interstate Compact An agreement among states to award their electors to the winner of the national popular vote once enough states join. Open primary A primary election in which voters need not belong to a party to choose which party's ballot they use. Political action committee An organization that raises and spends money from members or donors to support or oppose candidates, subject to federal limits. Ranked-choice voting A voting method in which voters rank candidates, and the lowest finishers are eliminated until one has a majority. Redistricting The redrawing of electoral district boundaries, usually after each ten-year census, to keep districts roughly equal in population. Runoff election A second election between the top finishers when no candidate wins the required share, usually a majority, in the first round. Super PAC A political committee that can raise unlimited sums to support or oppose candidates but may not coordinate with them or give them money. Superdelegate A Democratic National Convention delegate who is a party official or elected leader and is not bound to the primary results. Swing state A state where neither party has a reliable majority, so presidential outcomes there are competitive and decisive. Top-two primary A primary in which all candidates appear on one ballot and the two with the most votes, regardless of party, advance to the general election. Voting Rights Act The 1965 federal law that prohibits racial discrimination in voting and has been amended several times.