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Election	A process where voters choose officials or decide questions		elections-and-voting
Voter	A person who casts a vote		elections-and-voting
Voting age	18 in the United States		elections-and-voting
Voter registration	Signing up in order to vote; rules vary by state		elections-and-voting
Ballot	Form or screen where voters mark their choices		elections-and-voting
Secret ballot	Voting privately so no one knows your choice		elections-and-voting
Polling place	Location where people vote on Election Day		elections-and-voting
Absentee ballot	A ballot sent by mail to someone who cannot vote in person		elections-and-voting
Early voting	Voting before Election Day		elections-and-voting
Election Day	Tuesday after the first Monday in November for federal elections		elections-and-voting
Presidential term	Four years		elections-and-voting
Midterm election	Election in the middle of a president's term		elections-and-voting
Primary	Election to choose each party's candidate		elections-and-voting
Caucus	A meeting where party members choose candidates		elections-and-voting
National convention	Meeting where a party nominates its presidential candidate		elections-and-voting
Running mate	A presidential candidate's choice for vice president		elections-and-voting
Campaign	The effort to win votes		elections-and-voting
Debate	Event where candidates discuss issues		elections-and-voting
Platform	A party's goals		elections-and-voting
Swing state	A state where either party could win		elections-and-voting
Electoral College	538 electors who formally choose the president		elections-and-voting
Electoral votes needed	270 of 538		elections-and-voting
Elector	A person chosen by a state to cast electoral votes		elections-and-voting
Winner-take-all	In most states, the candidate who wins the state gets all its electoral votes		elections-and-voting
Popular vote	The total number of votes cast by individual voters		elections-and-voting
Inauguration	Ceremony when a new president takes office, January 20		elections-and-voting
Oath of office	Promise taken by officials when they start their jobs		elections-and-voting
Two-party system	Politics dominated by two main parties		elections-and-voting
Democratic Party	One of the two major US parties, founded in the 1820s-1830s		elections-and-voting
Republican Party	One of the two major US parties, founded in 1854		elections-and-voting
Third party	A smaller party outside the two major ones		elections-and-voting
Independent	A voter or candidate not tied to a party		elections-and-voting
Gerrymandering	Drawing district lines to give one group an advantage		elections-and-voting
Redistricting	Redrawing voting districts after each census		elections-and-voting
District	An area represented by one official		elections-and-voting
Census	Count of all people, every ten years		elections-and-voting
Reapportionment	Reassigning House seats among states after the census		elections-and-voting
Suffrage	The right to vote		elections-and-voting
1789	Early voting was limited mostly to property-owning white men in many states		elections-and-voting
15th Amendment (1870)	Said race could not deny the right to vote		elections-and-voting
19th Amendment (1920)	Women gained the right to vote nationwide		elections-and-voting
Suffragists	People who worked for women's right to vote		elections-and-voting
Seneca Falls (1848)	First women's rights convention		elections-and-voting
Susan B. Anthony	Suffrage leader who was arrested for voting in 1872		elections-and-voting
Alice Paul	Suffragist who led marches and picketing for the 19th Amendment		elections-and-voting
Indian Citizenship Act (1924)	Made Native Americans citizens; some states still blocked voting for years		elections-and-voting
Poll tax	Fee for voting, used to keep poor and Black voters away		elections-and-voting
24th Amendment (1964)	Banned poll taxes in federal elections		elections-and-voting
Literacy test	Reading test used to keep Black citizens from voting		elections-and-voting
Voting Rights Act (1965)	Protected voting rights and ended many barriers		elections-and-voting
Selma marches	1965 marches for voting rights in Alabama		elections-and-voting
26th Amendment (1971)	Lowered the voting age to 18		elections-and-voting
Motor Voter Act (1993)	Let people register while getting a driver's license		elections-and-voting
Ballot measure	A question put to voters directly		elections-and-voting
Recall	A vote to remove an official before their term ends, in some states		elections-and-voting
Exit poll	Survey of voters leaving polling places		elections-and-voting
Election observer	Person who watches voting to make sure it is fair		elections-and-voting
Turnout	Percent of eligible voters who vote		elections-and-voting
Incumbent	Person currently holding office		elections-and-voting
Term limits	Laws limiting how many terms someone can serve		elections-and-voting
Campaign finance	How candidates raise and spend money		elections-and-voting
Why vote?	Elections let citizens choose leaders and influence laws		elections-and-voting