Glossary

In general, absentee voting refers to any opportunity to cast a vote without going to the polls in person on Election Day. Some states require an excuse to vote absentee; others do not. In some states, an absentee ballot must be requested by the voter; in other states, it does not.

Agriculture Commissioners are responsible for state agricultural and environmental issues. Enforcing agricultural, horticultural and farm product laws, regulating food safety (including meat), and monitoring crop production and food production cost. Commissioners also manage forestry and natural resources (land and water) as well as insect/disease pest control (detection and eradication).

District made up of a larger geographical area instead of using smaller parts of the same area. All voters in the area cast ballots for all candidates. For example, instead of choosing a city council member from specific neighborhoods grouped into districts, an at-large candidate would be chosen by the entire city. The entire city would comprise the at-large district.

Attorneys General are the state's chief law enforcement officer and legal advisor to the state. Most are elected, though governors appoint them in seven states. They advocate in areas of antitrust and utility regulation, consumer protections, represent the state before the courts, and handle statewide criminal prosecutions and appeals.

Auditors, usually CPAs, conduct independent assessments of government finances. They are either elected or appointed by other officials; and being a constitutional office, state law requires the position stay filled at all times. Specific duties involve reviewing spending by the legislature and auditing agencies on performance if achieving its goals.

Phenomenon where voters opt not to vote on races or issues appearing further down the ballot. Often occurs when there are a large number of candidates or positions on the ballot.

Generic term used for a law, issue, or topic placed on a ballot for voters to decide through an election. Ballot measures may be placed on the ballot by legislative referral or by citizen-initiated petitions. They can take the form of constitutional amendments, initiatives, referendums, or even be called “propositions.”

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The tendency for a popular candidate or proposal to gather even more support simply because they appear to be winning.

To travel from place to place making brief stops (as in a political campaign or a promotional tour).

The City Clerk is hired as a liaison between government officials and the general public, working with the mayor and city council. Duties include planning and running council meetings and records management. City Clerks also coordinate municipal elections, administer oaths of office and maintain custody of the city’s official seal.

County Clerks are elected or appointed, and tasked with filing and managing public records, such as: vital records, governing body transactions, expenditures and employee personnel files. Other duties include issue and file gun permits and notary bonds, processing passports, administering electoral functions and serving as secretary to the county board.

A member or members of a legislative body who officially adds his or her name in support of another member’s bill. In the House of Representatives, a member can become a co-sponsor of a bill until the authorized committee considers it. In the Senate a member can become a co-sponsor of a bill any time before a vote takes place.

Generally elected, constables are law enforcement officers serving a well-defined geographic area or communities. Roles and duties of constables vary from state to state; however, they must be grounded in legal procedures, due process and recordkeeping. Some may work closely with courts, such as serving warrants and subpoenas.

Controllers manage a statewide accounting system and provide internal controls for state agencies, depending on the state. Most are elected, others by legislative appointment. Controllers work alongside governors, lt. governors or treasurers to ensure accountability. They also provide budget estimates and financial statements for departments and audit the state treasury.

DAs are elected in most states as the chief law enforcement officer representing the state and people in a local government, e.g. county, in criminal matters. They initiate investigations, bring charges and prosecute suspected criminal lawbreakers, and are the only attorneys allowed to participate in grand jury proceedings.

When someone refers to early voting, they are usually referring to in-person early voting at designated polling places in a time allotted before Election Day.

To direct funds to a specific project.

Opinion piece with content meant to persuade or analyze. Not merely factual.

The Electoral College is a process in which electors or representatives from each state in number proportional to the state’s population cast their vote and determine who will be president.

Each state gets a certain number of electors based on its representation in Congress. There are a total of 538 electors selected according to each state’s policy. Each elector casts one vote following the general election, and the candidate who gets more than half (270) wins. The newly elected President and Vice President are inaugurated in January.

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A political procedure in which one or more members of a legislative body prolong debate on proposed legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent a decision.

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The practice of drawing electoral lines to favor one political party, individual, or constituency over another. When used rhetorically by opponents of a specific map, the term has a negative connotation but does not necessarily address the legality of a map. When used as a legal term, gerrymandering is used to describe situations in violation of federal or state laws.

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Elected for 4-year terms, Governors are the chief executive officer of a state government. Their powers include: proposing and signing new legislation (with veto and executive authority), and ensure laws are enforced. They also command their National Guard, grant clemency and reprieves, and appoint state judges.

A movement driven by groups of ordinary citizens rather than by politicians or other influential leaders. They are often characterized by their bottom-up approach.

Going in person to cast one’s ballot on Election Day at a designated polling location.

ISD Trustees, elected or appointed, are the governing board of their district, made up of its citizens. Their role is to oversee facilities, set goals, hire the superintendent, whom they evaluate yearly, and approve the superintendent-staff budget. The superintendent and staff are to then implement their directives.

Voter who does not align with, identify with, or have loyalty to a political party.

Insurance Commissioners are the highest state-level regulatory authority in charge of overseeing the insurance industry. Their main duties include: 1) Protecting the interests of policyholders (all segments of market); 2) Ensure companies ae solvent, pay claims judiciously, use licensed agents; 3) Prevent fraudulent claims; 4) Incorporate government aid programs.

A JP presides over a local court of limited jurisdiction with limited powers. If not a lawyer, they must pass an exam. They receive training in laws applying to their court, and duties, depending on precinct, may extend to: minor criminal or civil disputes, bail hearings, and officiating weddings.

Labor Commissioners oversee the administration of state labor laws. Most are nonpartisan appointed by the governor, with 4 states electing. Duties vary from state to state but often include enforcing the state’s minimum wage, overseeing disputes, and investigating claims of employer misconduct. Commissioners also preside over violation hearings, issuing penalties.

A legislative session is when a legislature meets to make laws. Sessions can be regular (set by law or constitution) or special (called outside of the regular schedule).

Lieutenant Governors as elected officials are first in the line of succession, with more than half presiding over the senate. Duties vary among states and are delineated in the state’s original constitution, unless changed by statute or executive order, from ceremonial (serving on boards) to 80 significant statutory duties.

A mayor is a city or municipality executive who may oversee their public works departments. As a member of the town council, he provides leadership for council meetings. A strong-mayor structure provides him/her administrative and legislative responsibilities, whereas in a weak-mayor structure, he is mainly a member of the city council.

The use of insults and accusations, especially unjust ones, with the aim of damaging the reputation of an opponent.

The position of Natural Resource Commissioner varies from state to state, but its general role is maintaining, protecting and regulating natural resources, including state parks, forests and recreation areas. They are overseen by divisions within the statewide agriculture agency. Most NRCs are nonpartisan and appointed, though in a few states, they are elected.

Election in which none of the candidates for office are listed with labels identifying their political party affiliation.

A term used for a political action committee, a committee organized for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect or defeat candidates or issues. There are many categories of PACs, including: candidates and authorized committees, separate segregated funds (SSFs), nonconnected committees, Super PACs, Leadership PACs, and hybrid PACs.

Elections for which the ballot contains labels showing any political parties with which the candidates are affiliated. Depending on state party and election laws, the candidates may be chosen through party primary, caucus, convention, or a combination thereof.

A public statement of the principles, objectives, and policy of a political party.

In the plurality voting system, the winner is the individual with the most votes. That could mean that the nominee could win with only 33% of the voting community’s support. It means far more people voted against a nominee than for them. The majority voting system addressed that issue by ensuring that the number of votes obtained by the eventual winner must be above fifty percent.

The term comes up most often when comparing the popular vote to the electoral vote count. The “popular vote” generally refers to the largest number of votes. U.S. Presidents are not elected by popular vote but rather by electoral vote count. Electoral votes are based upon the number of congressional districts plus an elector for each senator, meaning each state gets at least three electoral votes no matter how small or unpopulated.

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A metaphor for the appropriation of government spending for use primarily in one representative’s district.

Public Service Commissioners are elected in 10 states and appointed in the remaining 40, mostly by the Governor. The commission is a multi-member regulatory board for utilities consisting of three to seven members. PSCs are state agencies but operate independently so that regulation decision-making can be more impartial.

Also known as “instant runoff voting,” voters have the option to rank candidates in order of preference (first, second, third choice, etc.) instead of selecting just one candidate. If the voter’s first choice does not win, the ballot counts toward the second choice, and so on.

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School Boards determine policy, budget, leadership and administration within a school district, made up of members elected or appointed from local citizens. They are decision makers on curriculum, facilities, and budgets. They design and implement policy, student performance markers, and compliance with federal and state laws. They also hire superintendents.

This Official is elected in 35 states and appointed by the governor or legislature in 12, as the state’s chief clerk and record keeper. Their key role is publishing government rules and regulations. Responsibilities include: Overseeing elections; maintaining historical documents; providing business services; commissioning notary publics and regulating professions standards.

Sheriffs are elected to carry out law enforcement on a county level (including unincorporated areas), for local state and federal laws, as well as judicial duties. This Office is not under county government, but independent, directly accountable to their citizens and state and U.S. Constitutions.

Police Chiefs are hired by and accountable to their city’s governing body, ensuring police resources are used well and fairly for the citizens of their city. The Chief oversees the operations and budgets of the department, including personnel management. Developing police policies and regulations is another aspect of the office.

A special session is a meeting of a legislative body that is called outside of its regular schedule.

Practice whereby voters spread their votes across multiple parties during an election.

The Appellate Court is the middle court that hears appeals from lower courts. It follows the principle of due process, providing a system for correcting errors made by lower courts. In the absence of a state supreme court, the appellate court is equivalent to a state supreme court.

A generic term for elections to the legislative body of any of the country’s 50 states. All states except Nebraska have a bicameral legislature, meaning the legislature is made up of two chambers. You may see the abbreviation HD for “house district,” the larger of the bicameral legislative bodies, or SD for “senate district,” for the smaller of the bicameral legislative bodies.

The formal name for each chamber can vary from state to state. In most states, the larger chamber is called the “House of Representatives,” but other terms used include “House of Delegates” and “General Assembly.”

A statewide election is one in which individuals are running for positions mandated as executive officials by statute or in state constitutions. People from the entire state, rather than from certain districts, are eligible to vote for each of these positions. The list may also include state judicial officers who are elected by the whole of the state.

As a practice, straight ticket voting can refer to either a) choosing a political party’s entire slate of candidates with just a single ballot mark or b) the act of voting for every candidate that a political party has on the ballot.

iVoterGuide does not recommend using a single ballot mark. If a voter wants to choose candidates of the same party in every race, we recommend marking each candidate in each race to prevent ballot tampering or nullification.

A speech repeatedly delivered by a politician during their campaign.

A type of political action committee that may receive unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, labor unions, and other PACs for the purpose of financing independent expenditures. They are sometimes referred to as independent expenditure only political committees.

The Superintendent of Schools, the chief executive officer of a state’s education system, shapes educational standards through district-wide initiatives and advocating reforms by collaborating with stakeholders. They also distribute state and federal funding, ensuring they are used effectively. Requirements may include a Ph.D., Ed.D., and an active teaching certification.

The Supreme Court is the highest state court in the state supreme court system. It has a panel of judges as outlined in their state constitutions, primarily responsible for correcting errors of inferior courts. They hear appeals on legal issues and do not make findings of facts, nor hold trials.

A voter who could potentially vote for any candidate regardless of party affiliation. A person whose vote is hard to predict. Sought after by campaigns, they can play a pivotal role in winning elections.

Tax Assessors, elected or appointed by a municipality’s official, are responsible for determining the fair market valuation of each property on the tax rolls in their jurisdiction. For each assessment, they will set tax rates, appraise values, collect taxes, and foreclosures. Once completed, it will be recorded, informing the owner.

The Treasurer, as chief financial officer and banker of the state is elected in 36 states, with 12 states appointed by the governor or legislature. Responsibilities are to keep, manage and distribute public funds, oversee cash management, control state banking services, and fraud. Some areas include debt management and pensions.

The Treasurer is elected or appointed by municipal councils or managers. Duties include: managing revenue, banking, collection, receipt, reporting, custody, investment or disbursement of municipal funds. They perform debt and interest rate management and oversee the municipal pension. Additionally, they advise the municipal council/manager regarding finance. Finance Directors are CPAs.

Courts that hold the original trial. One with general jurisdiction may hear cases not exclusively within another court’s jurisdiction; one with limited jurisdiction is based on subject matter. Typically organized as criminal (determining guilt of a crime) or civil (determining outcome of personal disputes) through findings of fact and law.

When a voter casts fewer votes for a particular office than he/she is permitted to cast. Undervoting can be intentional, as part of a strategy or protest, or it can be unintentional if the voter overlooks a particular race or position on the ballot.

The competition to become a candidate’s running mate (competition to become the Vice-President or “Veep”).

In general, mail-in voting refers to the process by which ballots are sent to voters and returned to local election offices through the mail. In some states, mail-in voting may be synonymous with absentee voting or the terms may be used in tandem. In other states, mail-in voting is the only form of voting offered. In some states, a voter must request a mailed ballot, and other states automatically send ballots to all registered voters.

A wave election occurs when one party makes significant electoral gains. There is no consensus in the media for how many seats must be gained to qualify as a wave. According to Ballotpedia, for an election to officially qualify as a wave, the opposing party must flip at least 48 districts in the House of Representatives.