Voting in Texas

Primary Election Methods

Open Primary: A primary election in which a separate primary election is held for each political party, but voters may participate in any such primary regardless of their party registration.
Semi-Closed Primary: A primary election in which a separate primary election is held for each political party, and the primary is open either to voters registered with that party or to unaffiliated voters, who may choose which semi-closed primary they participate in.
Blanket Primary: A primary election includes all candidates for an office, regardless of their respective political party. Each voter votes for one candidate ,and the single candidate with the most votes from each political party advances to the general election.
Top-Two Primary: A primary election where all candidates appear on the same ballot and the top two vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of their political party. Consequently, it is possible for two candidates from the same political party to win in a top-two primary and compete against each other in the general election.
Closed Primary: A primary election only available to voters registered with a particular political party. In jurisdictions with closed primaries, independent or unaffiliated voters are excluded from participating in the party nomination contests.
Caucus: A meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement. Some states use in-person caucuses to allocate delegates for presidential elections, rather than party primaries. The word caucus can also sometimes refer to a group of like-minded people, such as the Congressional Black Caucus.
Louisiana Primary: It is similar to a Top-Two Primary, with candidates competing regardless of a political party, but it is a general election rather than a primary election. The candidate who receives a majority is elected. If no candidate wins a majority, a runoff election is held between the top two candidates. This system is used for U.S. Senate special elections in Mississippi and Texas, and special elections for partisan offices in Georgia.

Electoral College Terms

Elector: Those chosen to be a member of the electoral college and elect the President and Vice President.
Electoral College: The presidential electors from each state (and DC) who meet after the popular election to cast ballots for the President and Vice President.
Faithless Elector: An elector who does not vote for their pledged candidate.
National Popular Vote: Would guarantee the Presidency to the candidates who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It has been enacted into law by 15 states and DC with 196 electoral votes. It needs an additional 74 electoral votes to go into effect.
Safe State: A state in which voters are known to favor one political party by such a margin that it can be reliably predicted in advance of the presidential election which slate of Electors will be chosen.
Swing State: A state for whom the outcome of a presidential election is difficult to predict because the margin is expected to be narrow. Swing states are sometimes known as “purple states” because they are not uniformly red (Republican) or blue (Democrat).

Other Important Terms

Absentee Ballot: A ballot filed by a voter who cannot be present at their polling place on Election Day.
Constituent: A person who lives, works, or pays taxes in an area that a politician represents.
Distrct: A geographical area that an elected official serves or represents.
Election Fraud: Criminal activity that impacts the integrity of an election.
Impeachment: The process to remove a high-level government official.
Inauguration: A day of ceremony in which a newly-elected official takes office. This usually involves a swearing-in ceremony, speeches, and celebrations.
Incumbent: The person currently in a particular job or political office.
Nominee: The final candidate chosen by a party to represent them in an election.
Political Action Committee: A group organized to raise money or support for a politician or cause.
Political Party: A group whose intent is to govern and legislate in a specific way based on a chosen set of principles or platform.
Popular Vote: The votes cast during an election for a candidate or about an issue. Whichever candidate or decision about an issue gets the most votes has won the popular vote.
Precinct: Each city, county, or geographical area is divided by address into precincts to assign polling places and gather votes. A precinct can sometimes be called an election district or voting district.
Provisional Ballot: Type of ballot used to collect a vote when there are questions about the voter’s identity or ability to vote at that precinct. A provisional ballot is counted when the voter’s information is confirmed.
Recount: Counting the votes again because of a suspected error in totaling them the first time.
Registered Voter: Someone who is qualified, has applied and been added to their area’s voter registration system.
Sample Ballot: These can be used to help people make decisions, and are often published by newspapers or websites.
Super Tuesday: The day when the most states and territories hold presidential primary elections or caucuses. The candidates who win on Super Tuesday are more likely to win their party’s nomination.
Term: The set length of time for someone to serve in an elected office.
Ticket: The group of candidates that a party is running in an election.
Town Hall Meeting: A setting in which candidates for office answer questions from voters. In a town hall-style debate, a moderator helps ensure candidates follow the rules they agreed to.
Voter Fraud: Interfering with the results of an election by doing illegal things that affect the vote’s outcome.
Voter Supression: An attempt to prevent eligible people from voting or forcing them to vote a certain way.
Voter Guide: Information about candidates and issues in an upcoming election- may be non-partisan or may favor a particular party/viewpoint.