psephology
The scientific study and statistical analysis of elections and voting. The term was coined in 1952 by Oxford Professor R. B. McCallum and is derived from the Greek word psephos, which means pebble, and references the pebbles used by the Ancient Greeks to cast their votes.
fusion voting
Fusion voting allows a candidate’s name to appear on multiple parties’ ballot lines, and to combine his or her votes from those lines. It was widespread in the 19th Century, as Democrats benefited from fusion tickets with populist parties, but now remains legal in only eight states. In those states, minor parties will often agree [...]
split ticket
A split ticket is when a voter chooses candidates from different political parties in the same election.
straight ticket
Voting a straight ticket is when a voter chooses all of the candidates of the same party. To facilitate straight ticket voting, some jurisdictions may allow voters to pull a lever or check a single box to choose all the candidates of a particular party.