Agent

A person who represents candidates in their dealings with the electoral authorities and runs their campaigns.

B

Ballot

Another term for vote.

Ballot Box

A  Box with a narrow slot on top, into which all ballots issued to electors are placed until the polls close and the votes are counted.  There is one ballot box at each polling station.

Ballot paper

Paper containing a list of all candidates standing in a constituency. Voters mark their choice with a cross.

Bicameral

Consisting of two legislative branches, like the US Congress, which consist of the House of Representatives and the Senate?

Bipartisan

Supported by members of the two major political parties (the Democrats and the Republicans).

Boundary Commission

The body which reviews constituencies every five (5) years to make sure they represent current population patterns.

By-Election

An election held between general elections, usually because the sitting MP has died or resigned.

 

C

Campaign (electoral)

Political activity, including meetings, rallies, speeches, parades, broadcasts, debates and other media events designed to inform the electorate of or gather support for the platform of a particular candidate or political party in an election or to promote a choice available to voters in a direct democracy instrument.

Candidate

Someone putting themselves up for election. Once Parliament has been dissolved, there are no MPs, only candidates.

Canvassing

During a campaign, active supporters of a party ask voters who they will vote for and try to drum up support for their own candidates.

Chief Elections Officer

An Officer appointed by the Governor General, acting after consultation with the electoral commission.

Civic Education

An information and/or educational programme which is designed to increase the comprehension and knowledge of citizens’ rights and responsibilities.

Civil Registry

A centrally held master database containing information generated by the administrative infrastructure of a country involving the mandatory collection of information from many sources and containing information such as the name, gender, nationality, age, marital status and address of all citizens. Electoral registers and other documents may be drawn from it when required.

Civil Servant

An employee of a central or local government ministry or department, sometimes subject to a single common set of employment procedures, terms and conditions laid down by government.

 

Code of conduct

A set of general rules of behaviour, for example for members and/or staff of an EMB, or for political parties, with respect to participation in an electoral process.

Commissioner

A term used for a member of an electoral commission. Sometimes the term is limited to the EMB chair, and in rare cases the term is used inconsistently to refer to specific senior staff of the secretariat.

Counting of the votes

Counting of the votes received at a polling station.  The count is carried out by the presiding officer for the polling station, assisted by the poll clerk, after the close of the polling station.  Candidates or their representatives are entitled to be present for the count and to receive a copy of the statement of the vote showing the number of votes cast for each candidate at the polling station.

 

D

Democracy

A political form of government carried out either directly by the people or by means of elected representatives of the people, as if the people and the elected person were one, linear line of decisions.  population,

Dissolution of Parliament

The act of ending a Parliament.

E

Elector

A person who is both qualified and registered to vote in an election.

Electoral Boundaries

The lines defining the outer limits of the electoral districts. The Boundaries are readjusted by independent electoral boundaries commissions

Electoral district

One of the geographical areas into which a country, local authority or supranational institution may be divided for electoral purposes. An electoral district may elect one or more representatives to an elected body.

Electoral Event

A term used to describe a general election, by-election or referendum.

An Electoral System

Saint Lucia uses a first-past-the-post system.  In this system, the candidate who gets more vote than any other candidate in the electoral district wins.  It is thus not necessary to obtain an absolute majority of the votes (fifty 50 percent plus one)  to be elected.

Electoral register

A list of all those in a constituency entitled to vote. Also known as electoral roll.

Electoral regulations

Rules subsidiary to legislation made, often by the electoral management body, under powers contained in the electoral law which govern aspects of the organization and administration of an election.

Electoral system

That part of the electoral law and regulations which determines how parties and candidates are elected to a representative body. Its three most significant components are the electoral formula, the ballot structure and the district magnitude.

Electorate

A group of persons whose names are on the register of electors and is entitle to vote at an election.

Exit Poll

An informal poll taken as people leave the voting booth. Exit polls are used to predict the outcome of the election before the polls are closed.

F

First past the post

A system of direct election by which members of parliament win their seats by garnering a plurality of votes.   The System is criticized by those who contend it locks out parties that win a significant percentage of the total vote but fall short of a plurality.

Franchise

The right to vote.

G

General election

Election at which all seats in the House of Commons are contested. General elections must take place at least every five years, but are usually held after about four years on a date chosen by the prime minister.

Gerrymandering

A process in which a voting district is broken up or the physical boundaries of a voting district are changed in order to make it easier for one political party to win future elections. The term gerrymander was coined in 1812 when a county in Massachusetts was redistricted into a salamander-like shape by Gov. Elbridge Gerry for political purposes. His last name was combined with the word salamander to get “gerrymander.”

I

Incumbent

A person who is currently in office.

Independent

A person who is not associated with any political party.

L

List of Electors

The list of names and addresses of all registered electors that is used at a polling station when people vote.  Also known as the voters list.

Lobbyist

People who are associated with groups (like labor unions, corporations, etc.) and who try to persuade members of the government (like members of Congress) to enact legislation that would benefit their group.

 

M

Manifesto

A public declaration of a party’s ideas and policies usually printed during the campaign. Once in power, a government is often judged by how many of its manifesto promises it manages to deliver.

MP Member of Parliament

Strictly this includes members of the House of Lords, but in practice means only members of the House of Commons. When an election is called Parliament is dissolved and there are no more MPs until it assembles again.

N

Nomination day

Nomination Day  is the day on which candidates are nominated, polling station are open  to accept nominations between 9:00 am  an 12:00 after that time no one else can be selected as a candidate.

Nomination paper

An election form that must be completed by candidates running for office in an electoral district.  It must include the following: the signatures of the required number of electors from the electoral district; a letter of support from the party if the candidate is endorsed by a registered of eligible party; and the name of an official agent and auditor.  Nomination papers must be submitted to the returning officer of the electoral district where the candidate wishes to seek election, along with Two hundred and fifty dollars ($250.00), which is refundable if the candidate’s official agent submits the candidate’s election expenses returns unused official tax receipts within the required time.

O

Opposition

The largest party not in government is known as the official opposition. It receives extra parliamentary funding in recognition of its status.

P

Party Election Broadcast (PEB)

Broadcasts made by the parties and transmitted on TV or radio. By agreement with the broadcasters, each party is allowed a certain number according to its election strength and number of candidates fielded.

Poll

A sampling or collection of opinions on a subject.

Poll Clerk

The election officer who assists the presiding officer at a polling station by checking to see if a person name is on the list of electors.

Polling Division

A small geographic section of an electoral district, for which a list of electors is prepared and a polling station is set up on election day.  Each electoral district has many polling division.

Polling Day

The day fixed for holding the poll at an election.

Polling Station

The place where electors go to vote.  Each elector is assigned to a specific polling station, according to his or her surname.

Political Party

An organized group of people with common values and goals, who try to get their candidates elected to office. The Democrats and the Republicans are the two major political parties in the USA today.

Politician

A person who is running for office or has won an election and is already in office.

Proportional representation

Systems of voting which aim to give parties the representation in a parliament justified by their level of voting support.

Presiding Officer

The election or referendum officer who supervises a polling station.  The presiding officer tasks include making decisions about a person’s eligibility to vote, counting the ballots and certifying the results.

Proxy vote

People unable to get to a polling station are allowed to appoint someone to vote on their behalf if they apply in advance. They are also allowed a postal vote.

R

Recount

If a result is close, any candidate may ask for a recount. The process can be repeated several times if necessary until the candidates are satisfied. The returning officer has the final say on whether a recount takes place.

Referendum

A binding vote of the whole country on a single issue.

Rejected Ballot

A ballot that is not counted. A ballot is rejected if it:

• different physically from the official ballots is blank
• Is marked in such a way that the voter could be identify
• Is marked for more than on candidate
• does not clearly indicate the intension of the voter is a write-in ballot that is marked for a political party that is not represented by a candidate in the election
• is a write-in ballot marked for both a candidate and a political party, but the candidate is not a representative of the political party.

Returning Officer

The election officer responsible for organizing an electoral event in an electoral district.  He or she sets up an office in the district and supervises all of the election staff.

 

S

Spoiled Ballot

A ballot that is marked inappropriately or in such a way that it would be rejected.  If a voter spoils their ballot and would like a replacement, they can do so by giving the spoiled ballot to an election official.

Suffrage

The right or privilege of voting.

Swing Voters

Voter who do not have allegiance to a particular political party.

T

Transfer Certificate

A document issued by the returning officer or assistant returning officer that enables an elector to vote at a different station than the one to which her or she is assigned.

Term Limits

Limits on the length of time that a politician can stay in office.  For example, the President of the United Sates is limited to two four-year terms of office.

Third party

Any political party other than the two major parties (the two current major parties are the Democrats and Republicans).

 

U

Universal Suffrage

The extension of the right to vote to all adult citizens.

V

Vote

A way to show your preference and choose elected leaders or decide on initiatives. People can vote by marking a piece of paper, raising their hand, or filling out a form on a computer.

Voting Booth

A small enclosure in which a person votes.

voting Machine

A mechanical device used for voting. There are many different types of voting machines.

 

Voting Screen

The place at the polling station where a voter goes to mark the ballot in private.  There should be nothing on the table behind the voting screen but a pencil for use marking the ballot.

Voter

A person who votes during an electoral event by marking their choice on a ballot.  Voters must meet certain qualifications and be registered with the chief elections officer.

Voter Turnout

The number of people who actually vote on the day of the election.  This is usually expressed as a percentage of the electorate.

W

Writs of election