Select Words that start with the letter...
| Word |
Definition |
FPPC |
Fair Political Practices Commission - The Mission of the FAIR POLITICAL PRACTICES COMMISSION is to promote the integrity of representative state and local government in California through fair, impartial interpretation and enforcement of political campaign, lobbying, and conflict of interest laws. |
FVAP |
Federal Voting Assistance Program - provides voting related information and resources for Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) citizens. U.S. citizens covered by the UOCAVA include: Members of the U.S. Uniformed Services (on active duty) and merchant marine, their family members, and U.S. citizens residing outside the U.S. |
General Election |
The election held throughout the state on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November in each even numbered year. (E.C. 324-1994) |
Home precinct |
A home precinct is a geographical area within the county in which all voters are eligible to vote for identical jurisdictions, i.e., same water district, same school district, same assembly district, etc. Every registered voter is assigned a home precinct. See Consolidated Precinct. |
House of Representatives |
U.S. Congress |
Initiative |
A procedure enabling a specified number of voters by petition to propose a law and secure its submission to the electorate or to the legislature for approval. |
NCOA |
National Change Of Address - A method of updating addresses on the voter roles. |
Nonpartisan Office |
An office for which no party may nominate a candidate. Judicial, school, county and municipal offices are nonpartisan offices. (E.C. 334-1994) |
VBM (Vote by Mail) |
No polling place was assigned because there were fewer than (250) registered voters. These voters are "declared" absentees. |
Official Ballot |
The special card supplied by the election officical for the voter to use to cast their vote. Used in conjunction with the sample ballot pamphlet. |
Official Canvass |
A detailed audit of the election. The law allows up to (28) days to complete this process, depending upon the type of election. |
Official Results |
The final election tabulation issued after completion of the official canvass. |
Partisan Office |
An office for which a party may nominate a candidate. (E.C. 337-1994) |
Party |
A political party or organization which has qualified for participation in any primary election. (E.C. 338-'94) |
Permanent Absentee Voter |
By written request a voter can ask to automatically be mailed an absentee ballot for every election for which they are entitled to vote. This eliminates the need for a voter to send in an application for an absentee ballot for each election. |
Petition |
There are many kinds of petitions - a few examples are: to recall an elected official; to gather nomination signatures to run for office; to gather signatures to offset filing fees; to gather signatures for an initiative or referendum to change law or stop law from being implemented. |
Poll Worker |
Poll Workers or Poll Clerks are individuals who work at a polling place. They check to make sure that the voter is registered, give them the correct ballot, and perform various duties on Election Day. |
President |
The Chief elected official or officer |
Provisional Ballot |
A ballot that is voted at polls when a voter's registration is in question or voter is unable to turn in requested absentee ballot that had been issued. These ballots are sealed in an envelope for later verification at Registrar's office. |
Race |
See contest |
Registrar |
The official in charge of the election and or election office within the county. |
Requested Absentee |
Voters who choose to vote by absentee/mail ballot instead of going to the polls. |
Residence |
"Residence" for voting purposes means a person's domicile. The domicile of a person is that place in which his or her habitation is fixed, wherein the person has the intention of remaining, and to which, whenever he or she is absent, the person has the intention of returning. At a given time, a person may have only one domicile. |
Sample Ballot |
The official pamphlet that contains the ballot titles of measures and/or the names of candidates to be voted on for each election. |
Senate |
The Senate of the United States is the upper house of the Congress. It consists of two senators from every state. |
SOV |
Statement of Votes Cast - A report that shows how each precinct voted. |
State Senator |
Upper House of State Legislature. A person elected serves a 2-year term. |
Student Poll Worker |
Any high school senior with a grade point average of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale, a citizen of the United States, in good standing attending a public or private secondary educational institution, and is at least 16 years of age, may work at the polls provided that they have both their teacher and school district approval. California law now permits up to two high school seniors to work at each polling place on Election Day. |
Supervisor |
A Board of Supervisors governs each of the 58 counties in California (all but San Francisco has 5 supervisors). Each supervisor serves a 4-year term, with the terms staggered so that no more than 3 seats go to election at one time. The district they represent is referred to as a “supervisorial” district. |
ROVer |
Troubleshooters are persons trained to respond to calls for assistance from poll workers and to conduct routine inspections of assigned polls. |
UDEL |
Uniform District Election - held November of odd year |
Unofficial Results |
All election results issued prior to completion of the official canvass. |
US Senator |
The elected official selected to serve in the Senate of the United States. A person elected serves for a 6-year term. |
Vice President |
The officer next in rank to a president and usually empowered to serve as president in that officer's absence or disability. |
VNC |
Voter Notification Card - A postcard sent to registrants confirming their application to vote. |
Write-In |
When a voter chooses to manually write-in a vote for a candidate(s) not printed on the ballot. The entire ballot is set aside to be counted after the validity of the write-in vote is determined. |
BOS |
County Board of Supervisors |
E.C. |
Elections Code. The code book governing the election process. |
NVRA |
National Voting Rights Act of 1993. Legislation that provides citizens the opportunity to register to vote in conjunction with business at various agencies such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, Social Service Agencies, State Funded Service Agencies, or Armed Forces Recruitment Centers. |
Absentee Ballot |
A ballot that is not voted at the polls. There are many varieties of absentee balltos |
ADA |
Americans with Disabilities Act. Federal Legislation that sets specific minimum standards for employment practices, programs and services, and accessibility to buildings, websites, etc. for persons with disabilities. |
Affidavit |
Affidavit of Registration; Voter Registration Card. An official, sworn statement of information used to register to vote. |
Assembly |
State Assembly. Lower House of State Legislature. A person elected serves a 2-year term. |
Ballot |
The card or page used to cast a secret vote. |
Campaign |
The series of activities designed to bring about election to office or passage of specific legislation. |
Candidate |
A person legally qualified to run for office. No person shall be considered a legally qualified candidate for any office or party nomination for a partisan office under the laws of this state unless that person has filed a declaration of candidacy, or statement of write-in candidacy, with the proper official for the particular election or primary... or having been selected as an independent candidate pursuant to Section 6894. (E.C. 13-1994) |
Candidates Handbook |
A handbook published by the Registrar of Voters Candidate Services Division for each election. It contains facts, statistics, deadlines, and other valuable information for persons wishing to run for office. |
Clerk |
County Clerk, Registrar of Voters, City Clerk or other officer or board charged with the duty of conducting any election. (E.C. 307-1994) |
Congress |
U.S. House of Representatives. A person elected serves a 2-year term. |
Congressional District |
The territorial division of a state from which a member of the U.S. House of Representatives is elected. |
Deadwood |
Outdated information. A term used for people who are registered but no longer live at that address or are registered more than once. This is caused primarily by voters who move and do not file a change of address with the post office. |
Direct Primary |
The primary election held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June in each even-numbered year, and on the fourth Tuesday in March in any year that is evenly divisible by the number four, to nominate candidates to be voted for at the ensuing general election or to elect members of a party central committee. (E.C. 316-1994) |
Early Voting |
The 29-day period prior to an election when absentee ballots may be cast. |
Election To Office |
Unless otherwise specifically provided, no person is eligible to be elected or appointed to an elective office unless that person is a registered voter and otherwise qualified to vote for that office at the time nomination papers are issued to the person or at the time of the persons appointment. (E.C. 201-'94, G.C. 24001 - 1991) |
Elections Official |
A clerk or any person who is charged with the duty of conducting an election. |
Elector |
Any person who is a United States citizen 18 years of age or older and a resident of an election precinct at least 15 days prior to an election. |
Alternate Residency Confirmation |
The Alternate Residency Confirmation or "ARC" is a project that purges voters from the Voter File who have not voted nor had any other activity regarding their voter file for a period of four years. It also affords the opportunity to those voters who wish to retain their active voter status to advise the Registrar of Voters of their intention to remain so. |
Nomination Papers |
The legally required paperwork that must be filed for a person to run for office. |
Observer |
People watching/observing procedures at the polls and/or monitoring who has voted. Official Observers are volunteers (usually members of the County Grand Jury) that monitor the ballot counting process, beginning with equipment testing prior to and immediately following the actual ballot counting. |
Polling Place |
A vote-casting site. This may be an individual's home or other location such as a school or library. |
DTS |
See Decline to State |
ACS |
Address Correction Service. Information received from the United States Postal Service, used to update the voter rolls. |
Campaign Filing |
All candidates receive appropriate forms to record their campaign finances. These forms are filed in the Registrar of Voters office on specific dates. |
Elective Office |
Means any office which may, under the principal act of the district or agency, be filed by way of an election. (E.C. 10500-'94) |
Elective Officer |
Means "elective officer" as defined by the principal act of each district or agency or if not defined, any officer of a district or agency holding an office which can be filled by election. (E.C. 1055-'94) |
Domicile |
A person's fixed, permanent, and principal home for legal purposes. |
Mail Ballot Precinct |
Mail ballot precincts are created when district boundary lines divide a geographic area leaving a group of fewer than 250 registered voters that cannot be consolidated with another precinct due to different issues on the ballot. These voters are automatically sent their ballots by mail for that election and do not have a polling place. |
Decline to State |
Those voters registered as either non-partican, decline to state, or with any unqualified political party. |
Contest |
A competition between candidates for elective office or the competition for approval or denial of a ballot measure. |
Campaign disclosure |
Forms that are filled out by a candidate (or candidate and treasurer or committees) that itemize the amount of money received and spent. |
Candidate Filing |
The process a voter goes through in order to have his or her name qualify to be a candidate on the ballot. |
