Glossary
Overview
Glossary
Glossary: Elections and Campaigns in Texas
blanket primary: A primary in which the ballot is not restricted to candidates from one party
campaign: the eﬀorts of candidates to secure positions in the government or the eﬀorts to get policy matters adopted
caucus: a form of candidate nomination that occurs in a town-hall style format rather than a day-long election; usually reserved for presidential elections
closed primary: a primary election in which only registered members of a particular political party can vote.
coattail eﬀect: the result when a popular presidential candidate helps candidates from his or her party win their own elections
delegates: party members who are chosen to represent a particular candidate at the party’s state- or national-level nominating convention
district system: the means by which electoral votes are divided between candidates based on who wins districts and/or the state
election: the process by which government oﬃcials are selected and matters of policy are determined
electoral college: the constitutionally created group of individuals, chosen by the states, with the responsibility of formally selecting the next U.S. president
general election: the election in which voters cast ballots to select public oﬃcials
gerrymandering: the drawing of district lines to guarantee a desired electoral outcome
incumbency advantage: the advantage held by oﬃceholders that allows them to often win reelection
incumbent: the current holder of a political oﬃce
midterm elections: the congressional elections that occur in the even-numbered years between presidential election years, in the middle of the president’s term
nonpartisan blanket primary. A primary in which the ballot is not restricted to candidates from one party, where the top two candidates advance to the general election regardless of party aﬃliation
open primary: a primary election in which any registered voter can participate in the contest, regardless of party aﬃliation
platform: the set of issues important to the political party and the party delegates
political action committees (PACs): organizations created to raise money for political campaigns and spend money to influence policy and politics
primary election: a ballot vote in which citizens select a party's nominee for the general election
Raiding: occurs when voters of one party cross over and vote in the primary of another party, eﬀectively allowing a party to help choose its opposition’s candidate.
runoﬀ primary: a second primary election held between the two candidates who received the most votes in the primary election if no candidate in the first primary election had received a majority
shadow campaign: a campaign run by political action committees and other organizations without the coordination of the candidate
special elections: an election that is not held on a regularly scheduled basis. In
Texas, a special election is called to ratify amendments to the Texas Constitution, fill a vacancy in a public oﬃce, or give approval for the state government to borrow money.
straight-ticket voting: the practice of voting only for candidates from the same party
super PACs: oﬃcially known as Independent Expenditure-Only Committees; organizations that can fundraise and spend as they please to support or attack a candidate but not contribute directly to a candidate or strategize with a candidate’s campaign
top-two primary: a primary election in which the two candidates with the most votes, regardless of party, become the nominees for the general election
winner-take-all system: all electoral votes for a state are given to the candidate who wins the most votes in that state
References and Further Reading
Hershey, Marjorie Randon (2007). Party Politics in America 12th ed. Longman Classics in Political Science. Pages 110-111
Licensing and Attribution
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Elections and Campaigns in Texas: Glossary. Authored by: John Osterman. License: CC BY: Attribution.