The Primary Path
This is the season when candidates typically announce they are running for President, roughly a year before the election.
What is Spring?
This is the "Magic Number" of electoral votes a candidate needs to win the presidency.
What is 270?
This term refers to the current holder of a political office who is running for re-election.
What is an incumbent?
General Election Day is always held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in this month.
What is November?
This is the name for the person a presidential candidate chooses to be their Vice Presidential candidate.
What is a running mate?
These are the two types of state-level meetings or elections where voters choose their preferred party candidate; one is state-run, while the other is run by political parties.
What are Primaries and Caucuses?
This is the total number of electors in the Electoral College, equaling the sum of Senators, Representatives, and 3 votes for D.C..
What is 538?
A person who lives in an electoral district and is represented by an elected official is known as this term
What is a constituent?
This is the general age requirement to be eligible to vote in the United States
Answer: What is 18?
During the General Campaign, candidates use these televised events to argue their positions and try to win over undecided voters.
What are debates?
The primary goal of primaries and caucuses is to award these individuals, who then travel to the National Convention to vote for the nominee.
What are delegates?
Used by 48 states, this system awards all of a state's electoral votes to the winner of that state's popular vote
What is winner-take-all?
This is a formal set of principal goals and objectives supported by a political party or candidate
What is a platform?
This type of ballot is sent through the mail to voters who cannot or choose not to vote in person on Election Day.
What is an absentee ballot?
This term describes an election victory in which the winning candidate receives a very large majority of the votes.
What is a landslide?
This official ceremony is held in July or August for parties to nominate their President and VP "ticket" and adopt their platform.
What is the National Convention?
These are the only two states that do not use the winner-take-all system.
What are Maine and Nebraska?
Proposed laws drafted by citizens and placed on a ballot are called this.
This term describes a proposal that the legislature puts on a ballot for citizens to vote on.
In most states, you do not need to register again unless you change your name or do this.
What is move? (or change residency)
Involving the agreement or cooperation of two political parties that usually oppose each other.
What is bipartisan?
Unlike a secret ballot, this "less common" selection process involves local meetings where voters discuss candidates and debate before making a choice
What is a caucus?
If no candidate reaches a majority of electoral votes, this body of Congress is responsible for electing the President
What is the House of Representatives?
This term describes a proposal that the legislature puts on a ballot for citizens to vote on.
What is a referendum?
This state official is typically the person in charge of elections at the state level.
Who is the Secretary of State?
This adjective describes an organization or media outlet that is not biased or partisan toward any particular political group.
What is nonpartisan?