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