jungle primary
A primary election in which all candidates for elected office run in the same primary regardless of political party. Also known as the “Nonpartisan Blanket Primary” or “Top Two Primary”, the top two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the next round, similar to a runoff election. However, there is no separate nomination [...]
dummymander
A dummymander is a gerrymander by one party “that, over the course of the decade, benefits the other party, and actually looks as if it was designed by that party rather than the party in power.” The term was coined by Bernard Grofman and Thomas Brunell in their article, “The Art of the Dummymander.”
by-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections. It’s also frequently referred to as a special election. Typically, a by-election occurs when the incumbent has resigned or died, but it may also occur in the case of a recall or as a result of [...]
Election Administrator’s Prayer
“Please, please, please let the winners win big.” or “Lord, let this election not be close.” Doug Lewis, Executive Director of the National Association of Election Officials, was quoted by USA Today using another variation in November 2000: “God, please let the winner win in a landslide.” Election law professor Rick Hasen used the phrase [...]
petitioning
A phase in a campaign where organizers collect signatures to put a candidate’s name on the ballot. How many signatures are needed depends on the jurisdiction and the office sought; some states allow candidates to pay a fee instead of submitting signatures. In areas with popular initiatives, signatures are needed to put a measure on [...]
open primary
A primary election that allows voters to select candidates on one party’s ballot without declaring their own party affiliation. It’s not to be confused with a blanket primary, in which all candidates appear on the same ballot and the two highest voted candidates proceed to the runoff, regardless of party affiliation.
blanket primary
In a blanket primary system, voters are not required to affiliate with a political party and may vote for any candidate on the ballot. The candidate from each political party who receives the most votes in the primary advances to the general election. A blanket primary is sometimes confused with an open primary in which [...]
absentee ballot
An absentee ballot is a vote cast by someone who is unable to visit the official polling place on Election Day. This type of vote is normally submitted by mail. Increasing the ease of access to absentee ballots are seen by many as one way to improve voter turnout, though some jurisdictions require that a [...]
motor voter
The name given to the process of allowing a citizen to register to vote when obtaining or renewing a driver’s license. The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 made the process mandatory across the country beginning in 1995.