TX Chapter 8 Flashcards
Absentee voting
A process that allows a person to vote early, before the regular election; applies to all elections in Texas; also called early voting
Ballot form
The forms used by voters to cast their ballots; each county, with approval of the secretary of state, determines the form of the ballot
Blanket primary
A nominating election in which voters could switch parties between elections
Closed primary system
A nominating election that is closed to all voters except those who have registered as a member of that political party
Crossover voting
Occurs when voters leave their party and vote in the other party’s primary
Filing fee
A fee or payment required to get a candidate’s name on the primary or general election ballot
Focus groups
Panel of “average citizens” who are used by political consultants to test ideas and words for later use in campaigns
General elections
Regular elections held every two years to elect state officeholders
Independent candidate
A person whose name appears on the ballot without a political party designation
Minor party
A party other than the Democratic or Republican Party; to be a minor party in Texas, the organization must have received between 5 and 19% of the vote in the past election
Office block format
Ballot where candidates are listed by office with party affiliation listed by their name; most often used with computer ballots
Open primary system
A nominating election that is open to all registered voters regardless of party affiliation
Party caucus
A meeting of members of a political party that is used by minor political parties in Texas to nominate candidates
Party column format
Paper ballot from where candidates are listed by party and by office
Party raiding
Occurs when members of one political party vote in another party’s primary in an effort to nominate a weaker candidate or spilt the vote among the top candidates
Primary election
An election used by major political parties in Texas to nominate candidates for the November general election
Runoff primary
Election that is required if no person receives a majority in the primary election; primarily used in southern and border states
Semi-closed primary system
A nominating election that is open to all registered voters, but voters are required to declare party affiliation when they vote in the primary election
Semi-open primary system
Voter may choose to vote in the primary election of either party on election day; voters are considered “declared” for the party in whose primary they vote
“Sore loser” law
Law in Texas that prevents a person who lost the primary vote from running as an independent or minor party candidate
Voting Rights Act
A federal law that allows the U.S. Justice Department to oversee the operation of voter registration and elections at the state level
Write-in candidate
A person whose name does not appear on the ballot; voters must write in that person’s name, and the person must have led a formal notice that he or she was a write-in candidate before the election
