Major and Minor Political Parties
Political Dictionary Terms
Term 1Device which a
voter registers a choice in an election.
Answer
ballot
Term 2
Place where the voters who live in a precinct vote.
Answer
polling place
Term 3
A voting district.
Answer
precinct
Term 4 When a strong candidate
running for an office at the top of the ballot helps attract voters to other candidates on the party’s ticket.
Answer
coattail effect
Term 5Voting by those
unable to get to their regular polling places on election day.
Answer
absentee voting
Term 6 The top two vote-getters
in the first party primary face one another, and the winner becomes the nominee.
Answer
runoff primary
Term 7People who meet to
select the candidates they will support in an upcoming election.
Answer
caucus
Term 8
The naming of those who will seek office.
Answer
nomination
Term 9
Special-interest groups which have an interest in public policy.
Answer
political action committee
Term 10Contributions made to State and local party organizations for activities such as voter registration and party mailings.
Answer
soft money
Term 11An election held within a party to pick that party’s candidates for the general election.
Answer
direct primary
Term 12Regularly scheduled
elections which voters make the final selection of officeholders.
Answer
general election
Term 13A grant of
money, usually from a government.
Answer
subsidy
Term 14Campaign money
that is subject to regulation by the Federal Election Commission.
Answer
hard money
Term 15A party nominating
election which only declared party members can vote.
Answer
closed primary
Term 16Elections in which
candidates are not identified by party labels.
Answer
nonpartisan election
Term 17A party nominating
election in which any qualified voter can take part.
Answer
open primary
