Media
This is the main way the media helps voters during elections by giving information about candidates and issues?
What is informing the public?
This election decides which candidates will actually take office after all primaries are finished
What is a general election?
Voters use this election to decide which candidate will represent their political party in the general election?
What is a primary election?
This is the organized effort by candidates and parties to influence voters and win an election?
What is a campaign?
The group of 538 members that cast the official votes that chose the US president?
What is the Electoral College?
This 19th century thing became the main source of election information for American voters?
What are newspapers?
This document lists all candidates and issues that voters choose from in a general election
What is a ballot?
A primary where any registered voter can choose which party’s primary to vote in?
What is an open primary?
Candidates often use this to raise money, spread their message, and pay for advertising during a campaign
What is campaign fundraising?
The term for the election held to help decide the candidates for the general election
What are primary elections?
This term describes when the media focuses more on candidate drama than on policy issues?
What is sensationalism?
This term refers to the percentage of eligible voters who actually cast a ballot in a general election
What is voter turnout?
This type of primary requires voters to be registered with a political party before they can vote in that party’s primary?
What is a closed primary?
This type of communication is designed to persuade voters by highlighting a candidate’s strengths and their opponent’s weaknesses?
What is political advertising?
The states that matter more than others in the election?
What are Swing States?
This media issue occurs when coverage favors one political side over another?
What is media bias?
This system, used in most U.S. general elections, awards victory to the candidate who receives the most votes, even if they don’t get a majority?
What is the plurality voting system?
This event is similar to a primary, but involves local party meetings where members discuss and vote for their preferred candidate?
What is a caucus?
During a campaign, candidates participate in these events to answer questions and debate their opponents’ positions in front of voters
What are debates?
Term refers to the total number of votes across the entire country during a presidential election?
What is the popular vote
This media occurs when heavy coverage makes an election seem closer or more dramatic than it really is?
What is the horse race effect?
This term describes when voters choose candidates from different political parties for other offices on the same ballot
What is slit-ticket voting?
This term describes the number of delegates a candidate must collect from primary and caucus results to officially win their party’s nomination?
What is the delegate threshold?
This practice involves sending misleading or negative information about an opponent to influence voters’ opinions?
What is negative campaigning?
An election where voters vote directly to approve or reject a policy
What is a referendum?