| A | B |
|---|
| campaign | Political operations preceding an election |
| Caucus | A meeting of party members for selecting delegates to a state or national nominating convention. |
| Direct primary election | preliminary election in which candidates for public office are chosen by direct vote of the people rather than by delegates |
| Lobby | A group or organization that seeks to influence legislation, administrative action, and/or public opinion. |
| National Party convention | official gathering held, by each of the major political parties, during the summer before a presidential election, to nominate the party's presidential and vice-presidential candidates and announce the party's platform. |
| Platform | A political party's formal written statement of its principles, policies, and goals, which is drafted, revised, and publicized during the presidential nomination process. |
| Poll | canvassing, or surveying, of a selected or random group of people to collect information, or to attempt to discover public opinion |
| Primary election | election to select a party's candidates for public office |
| Running mate | candidate for the lesser of two closely associated offices |
| Swing voter | A voter who is not strictly loyal to a particular political party. |
| Special interest | Individuals and organizations that attempt to influence the political process so as to advance their own particular interests. |
| Ticket | The list of candidates nominated by a political party in an election. |
