Election administration

The “Election Administrator’s Prayer” is a phrase that is used to refer to the challenges and responsibilities faced by those who are responsible for administering elections.

The phrase is meant …

An “open primary” is an election that allows voters to select candidates on one party’s ballot without declaring their own party affiliation.

Open primaries are often contrasted with …

A blanket primary is a primary election whereby each voter can select one candidate per office regardless of party.

This primary is different from open or closed primaries, which …

Petitioning is a phase in a campaign where organizers collect signatures from eligible voters to achieve a specific political objective.

This objective can vary widely, from getting a candidate’s name …

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 …

The term “motor voter” refers to a law in the United States that allows eligible citizens to register to vote when they apply for or renew their driver’s …

“Ballot box stuffing” is a term that refers to the practice of illegally submitting more than one vote in a ballot in which just one vote is actually …

Ranked-choice voting is an electoral system where voters rank candidates in order of preference, instead of voting for just one candidate.

If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, …

A firehouse primary is a candidate nominating contest funded and overseen by a local party organization rather than public election officials.

A standard primary is operated by county and state …

A “by-election” is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections.

Typically, they occur when the incumbent has resigned or died, but …

A jungle primary is an election in which all candidates for elected office run in the same primary regardless of political party.

It’s also known as the blanket primary, …

“Dummymander” is a play on the term “gerrymander,” and it refers to a redrawing of a district map that actually ends up benefiting the opposite party that was …