How US elections work, including registration, the Electoral College, and primary versus general elections. Front: the term. Back: a plain-language definition.
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- Voter registration
- The official process of signing up to be allowed to vote in elections.
- Voting age requirement
- You must be at least 18 years old to vote in United States elections.
- Citizenship requirement
- A person must be a U.S. citizen to register and vote in federal elections.
- Primary election
- An election where voters choose which candidate from their party will run in the general election.
- General election
- The main election held on a set date where voters choose the final winner for a political office.
- Electoral College
- A group of electors from each state who officially cast the votes to choose the U.S. President and Vice President.
- Electoral vote
- A vote cast by an elector in the Electoral College for President and Vice President.
- Popular vote
- The total votes cast by regular voters across the entire country in a presidential election.
- Swing state
- A state where the outcome of a presidential election is uncertain and could go either way.
- Candidate
- A person who is running for or seeking an elected political office.
- Political party
- An organized group of people who share similar political beliefs and work together to win elections.
- Ballot
- The official paper or electronic form on which voters mark their choices in an election.
- Polling place
- The physical location where citizens go to cast their votes in an election.
- Voter registration deadline
- The final date by which a person must be registered before they are allowed to vote in an election.
- Early voting
- An option that allows registered voters to cast their ballots before Election Day at designated locations.