Vocabulary
Elections
The Electoral College
Political Parties
Mixed Bag
100

Define issue.

A matter of debate or dispute.

100

This is usually the first step of the election process, and is used to select the candidate for the next step.

What is a primary election?

100

This is the total amount of electors in the Electoral College.

What is 538?

100

These are the two major political parties in the United States. (BONUS: What animals represents each of the parties?)

What are the democrats and republicans?

100

This is the amount of time between national elections.

What is every two years?

200

Define recall.

A special election in which citizens can vote to remove a public official from office.

200

This is what happens if nobody wins a majority of the votes in a primary election.

What is a runoff election?

200

This is who people are really voting for when they count the popular vote in elections.

What is electors?

200

Every political party has ___, which includes members from every state.

What is a national committee?

200

Define political machine.

A strong party organization that can control political appointments and deliver votes.
300

Define popular vote.

The votes cast by individual voters in a presidential election, as opposed to the electoral vote.

300

This election comes after the primary election. (BONUS: Tell me when in the year it occurs.)

What is the general election? (BONUS: The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.)

300
This is where the electors meet to conduct their votes.

What is the state capitals?

300

This is how political parties elect their candidates in the election.

What is a primary?

300
This is the term used for the political party that is currently out of power.

What is the opposition party?

400

Define electoral college.

A group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president.

400

This is an election that occurs when someone needs to be removed from their position.

What is a recall election?

400

This is the amount of electoral votes a candidate needs to win an election.

What is 270?

400
This is how third-party candidates get on the ballot.

What is a petition?

400

This happens after the Electoral College casts their votes.

They are sent to the House and Senate to be counted.

500

Define winner-take-all system.

A system in which the candidate who wins the popular vote in a state usually receives all of the state's electoral votes.

500

This election occurs when a position suddenly becomes vacant. (BONUS: Give me two reasons a position might become empty.)

What is a special election? (BONUS: Death and resignation.)

500
This is about the amount of time that passes between the casting of public votes and the election of the president.

What is 6 weeks?

500

These are the two types of primaries.

What are direct primaries and closed primaries?
500

These are the four elections where a candidate won the electoral college vote, but lost the popular vote.

What is Clinton in 1992 & 1996, George W. Bush in 2000, and Trump in 2016?