Voting and Elections Common Terminology

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A glossary of key terms that the voter is bound to come across in relation to voting and elections.

A

Absentee Ballot

A Ballot filed by a eligible voter who cannot be present at their polling place (including a virtual one) on the day of the election. Absentee Ballots are often filed by voters who are:

On holiday
Travelling
Ill

B

Ballot

A list of candidates and referenda which voters mark their choices on. This may be in paper form, marked with pen, or electronic, completed virtually. Electronic ballots are currently the most popular form of Ballot, as it allows as many voters as possible to vote, regardless of location and time.

By-election

An election outside of the normal schedule of elections, held, normally to fill a single seat, when a posittion is vacated.

C

Constituency

The area a candidate or candidates are elected from and represent. Nationwide, there are currently four constituencies:

Tipidia 1
Tipidia 2
Casteau 1
Casteau 2

Constituent

A voter who lives, works, pays taxes or is otherwise connected to the Constituency that a politician represents.

E

Election

A event of a set duration, during which voters mark and return their ballots.

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Election Fraud

Criminal activity which either aims to compromise the results of an election or otherwise impacts the integrity of the affected election. Election Fraud can include:

Bribery
Tampering with the Ballots
Other illegal techniques which impact the result of the election

Election Worker(s) (also Counting Official(s), Election Clerk(s) or Poll Worker(s))

A person or group of people nominated to:

Monitor the voting process at a polling place
Make sure that laws regarding elections are observed by voters
Certify an election was conducted legally
Count the votes

Electoral Commission

A constitutionally-mandated national government body, consisting of Electoral Commissioners, which is responsible for:

The scheduling and management of national elections and referenda
The appointment and supervision of (a) Election Worker(s)
The supervision of recounts
Delivering verified results to the Imperial Council and the public
The management, on a contractual basis, of elections in devolved levels of government

Electoral Commissioner

A sworn member of the Electoral Commission.

G

General Election

A nation-wide election for the National Assembly, which in course will determine the Prime Minister and Government. Candidates running with a party will have been selected by that party. A General Election occurs once every 3 months.

I

Impeachment

A process used to remove certain high-level government officials. At a national level these are:

The Prime Minister
The Deputy Prime Minister
Members of the Cabinet of Ministers (excluding Advisors)
Judicial Appointments Commissioners
Electoral Commissioners

At a national level, impeachment charges are levied by the National Assembly investigating and passing Articles of Impeachment against the incumbent of an impeachable office, suspending them. The defendant is the tried by a "competent court", who decide their guilt. If the court convicts, the conviction has the effect of removing them from office and barring them from holding any public office for 6 months.

Incumbent

The person currently in a particular job or political office.

N

Nominee

The final candidate chosen by a party to represent them in an election

P

Platform

The ideas, ideals, morals and viewpoints that a individual or party runs upon. Includes their principles and plans to govern.

Political Party

A group whose intent is to govern and legislate in a specific way based on a chosen set of principles or platform.

Polling Place (alternately Polling Station - Physical Location)

A physical location in which voters from a certain area cast their votes. Currently none in operation - all polling is done virtually.

Popular Vote

The votes cast during a election or referendum. The candidate or decision with the most votes wins.

R

Recall

Members of the National Assembly can be recalled - removed from their seat - by a 51% majority vote of their constituents. A recall election can be started by a petition to the Electoral Commission with at least 3 signatures from relevant constituents.

Recount

Counting the votes again because of a suspected error in totalling them the first time. Must also be done once before the submission of a final total in national elections.

Referendum

A proposed new law or a proposal to repeal an existing law, passed to the voters to approve or reject. Commonly used for Constitutional Amendments, among others.

Registered Voter

Any individual who is registered to a constituency (on a national level) by the Electoral Commission. Registered Voters are eligible to vote in all elections, by-elections and referenda affecting their constituency.

S

Sample Ballot

An example of what the official ballot will look like. These can be used to help people make decisions, and are often published by newspapers or websites.

Single Transferable Vote

The system of voting used for the election of Members of the National Assembly in the General Election. It is a form of proportional representation voting, also used by the Republic of Ireland, Malta and to some extent Australia. We are working on developing a guide to STV, but for now here are two useful links:

Special Election

A election held if the National Assembly is dissolved by a Motion of No Confidence. Not part of the regular election schedule.

T

Term

The set length of time that someone serves in an elected office. National offices are currently either:

Held for uniform terms of 3 months (unless a Motion of No Confidence is passed). These include the Members of the National Assembly, Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Member of Cabinet.
Held for life. However, these offices are usually appointed and not elected (notable exception of the Emperor).

Term Limit

The total amount of terms that an officeholder is allowed to serve in a particular position. Currently the only nationally elected office with a term limit is the Prime Minister, who has a term limit of 4, 3-month terms in every 5 years.

V

Voter Fraud (Election Fraud)

Interfering with the results of the election by engaging in illegal activity which affects the vote's outcome. Types of Voter Fraud include:

Bribery
Illegal voter registration
Tampering with voting software or ballot boxes
Voter impersonation
Submitting multiple ballots
Vote buying
False advertising about the election date and how to vote

Voter Intimidation (Voter Suppression)

An attempt made by an official, individual or group, to prevent eligible registered voters from voting or forcing them to vote in a certain way. Some voter intimidation tactics include:

Usage of verbal or physical threats
Threatening with weapons or confinement
Entry tests (particularly regarding literacy, residence or citizenship), the passage of which is required to vote
Poll taxes
Other types of intimidation which prevent a reasonable person from voting freely

Voting Guide/Voter Guide

Information about candidates and issues in an upcoming election. Guides can be published by political parties, organizations, or other groups. They may be non-partisan or may favor a particular party or viewpoint.