| A | B |
|---|
| nomination | the naming of those who will seek office |
| general elections | elections in which voters make the final decision |
| caucus | group who selects the candidates they'll support in the next election |
| direct primary | intra-party election |
| closed primary | a party nominating election in which only party members can vote |
| open primary | a party nominating election in which any qualified voter can take part |
| blanket primary | voters recieve a 'bedsheet' ballot that lists every candidate, regardless of party, for nomination |
| runoff primary | the two top vote-getters in the first party primary face one another, and the winner becomes nominee |
| nonpartisan elections | elections in which candidates are not identified by party labels |
| absentee voting | voting by those unable to get their regular polling places on election day |
| coattail effect | a strong candidate running for an office at the top of the ballot helps attract voters to other candidates on the party's ticket |
| precinct | voting district |
| polling place | the place were the voters who live in a precinct actually vote |
| ballot | the device by which a voter registers their vote |
| political action committees (PACs) | political arms of special-interest groups, which have a major stake in public policy |
| subsidy | a grant of money, usually from a government |
| hard money | money raised and spent to elect candidates to congress and the White House |
| soft money | funds given to party organizations for such "party-building activites" as candidate recruitment, voter registration, and get-out-the-vote drives and similar efforts |
