60 voting related terms you need to know 

Voting can feel complicated, and the terms might seem like a whole new language. Here are 60 common terms you might hear this election season.  

1. Absentee Ballot: A way for voters to cast their ballots by mail if they are unable to vote in person on Election Day.
2. Ballot: The document used to record a vote in an election.
3. Ballot Clerk: An election worker who checks in voters at polling places and hands them their ballots.
4. Ballot Initiative: A process that allows citizens to propose laws or constitutional amendments, which are then placed on the ballot for a public vote.
5. Canvassing: The practice of campaign workers or volunteers going door-to-door to speak with voters, provide information, and encourage voter turnout.
6. Candidate: A person running for a public office.
7. Caucus: A meeting of party members to select candidates or decide policy.
8. Closed Primary: A type of primary election where only registered party members can vote to choose their party’s candidate.
9. Crossover Voting: When a voter who is registered with one political party votes in another party’s primary.
10. Delegate: A person chosen or elected to represent others, often at a party convention, to nominate a candidate for office.
11. Down-Ballot: Refers to races for lower-level offices (like city council or state legislature) that appear further down on the ballot, below higher-profile races like presidential or gubernatorial elections.
12. Early Voting: A process that allows voters to cast their ballots before the official Election Day.
13. Election Cycle: The period between one election and the next, often referred to in terms of how frequently a specific office is up for election.
14. Electoral College: The system in the United States used to elect the president, where electors, representing each state, cast votes.
15. Electoral Roll (or Voter Roll): A list of all registered voters in a particular area or jurisdiction.
16. Electorate: All the eligible voters in a country, state, or region who can vote in an election.
17. Exit Poll: A survey conducted with voters leaving polling places to predict the outcome of the election before the official count is completed.
18. Fearmongering: The act of deliberately spreading fear, exaggeration, or alarm about a particular issue or threat to influence people’s opinions or behavior. It often involves presenting situations in a way that makes them seem more dangerous or urgent than they are in reality, typically to achieve political, social, or financial goals. Fearmongering is commonly used in propaganda, advertising, or political campaigns to manipulate public perception or stir up anxiety.
19.  First-in-the-Nation Primary: New Hampshire is known for holding the first primary election in the U.S. presidential election cycle, often setting the tone for the rest of the race
20. General Court: The official name of New Hampshire’s state legislature, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate
21. Gerrymandering: The process of drawing political district boundaries to give one party an advantage.
22. House of Representatives: New Hampshire has one of the largest legislative bodies in the world, with 400 members serving in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.
23. Incumbent: The current officeholder running for re-election.
24. Majority: More than half of the total votes cast. Winning by a majority means receiving over 50% of the vote.
25. Moderator: An elected official in New Hampshire towns and cities who presides over town meetings and elections, ensuring rules are followed.
26. Nonpartisan Election: An election in which candidates do not run under any party label or affiliation.
27. Open Primary: A primary election where any registered voter can participate, regardless of their party affiliation.
28. Overvote: When a voter selects more candidates than allowed for a race, leading to the disqualification of that vote.
29. Paper Ballots: New Hampshire continues to use hand-marked paper ballots as the primary method for voting in elections.
30. Plurality: When a candidate receives more votes than any other candidate but not necessarily a majority.
31. Poll: A survey conducted to gauge public opinion on candidates, issues, or election outcomes; also refers to the place where people vote.
32. Polling Place: The designated location where voters go to cast their ballots on Election Day.
33. Precinct: The smallest unit of election administration, often a neighborhood or group of neighborhoods.
34. Primary Election: An election where voters select their party’s candidates for a general election.
35. Provisional Ballot: A ballot used when there is some question about a voter’s eligibility. It is set aside until eligibility is confirmed.
36. Recall Election: A procedure that allows voters to remove an elected official from office before their term is completed.
37. Redistricting: The process of redrawing electoral district boundaries, often after a census, to reflect changes in population.
38. Referendum: A vote on a specific issue rather than for a candidate.
39. Runoff Election: A second election held when no candidate wins a majority in the first election, typically between the top two candidates.
40. Same-Day Registration: New Hampshire allows eligible voters to register to vote on Election Day at their polling place, a feature that distinguishes it from many other states.
41. Selectmen: Elected officials in New Hampshire towns who manage the general affairs of the town and have a role in overseeing local elections.
42. Spoiled Ballot: A ballot that is marked incorrectly or defaced, making it invalid.
43. Straight-Ticket Voting: When a voter selects all candidates from the same political party on their ballot.
44. Super PAC (Political Action Committee): An organization that raises and spends large amounts of money to support or oppose candidates but cannot contribute directly to campaigns or coordinate with candidates.
45. Superdelegate: A delegate to the Democratic National Convention who is free to support any candidate for the presidential nomination, regardless of the outcome of primaries or caucuses.
46. Supervisors of the Checklist: Local officials responsible for maintaining the voter registration list (or “checklist”) in each New Hampshire town or city ward.
47. Swing State: A state where both major political parties have similar levels of support among voters, making the outcome unpredictable in an election.
48. Suffrage: The right to vote in political elections.
49. Tabulation: The process of counting votes in an election.
50. Town Meeting: A traditional New England form of local government, where residents gather to vote directly on budgets, laws, and other issues.
51. Turnout: The percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election.
52. Undervote: When a voter does not mark any choice for a particular race or issue on the ballot.
53. Voter Fraud: Illegal interference with the election process, such as by casting multiple votes, impersonating another voter, or tampering with ballots.
54. Voter ID Laws: Laws that require voters to present a form of identification at the polling place.
55. Voter Registration: The process by which eligible voters sign up to be allowed to vote in elections.
56. Voter Suppression: Actions, policies, or tactics that prevent or discourage people from voting.
57. Voter Turnout: The number or percentage of eligible voters who actually vote in a given election.
58. Voting Machine: A mechanical or electronic device used to record and tally votes.
59. Ward: A local district or subdivision within a city or town, often used for electoral purposes.
60. Write-In Candidate: A candidate whose name is not on the ballot but for whom voters can vote by writing in the name.

Are you ready to vote? Make sure to check your voter registration status, see who’s on your ballot, and make a voting plan here.