1. Elections

2. Types of Elections
General Election—1st Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The election of public officials happens on this day.
President—every 4 years
Senators—one third of the Senate every 6 years
House of Representatives—every 2 years

3. Primaries
Primary Election—The elections in the early part of an election year where candidates are chosen from each political party.
Open Primary-Any Registered voter may vote.
Closed Primary- Only registered voters of a certain party may vote.

4. Candidates—The nominee from each political party running for office.
Electorate—The total group of people voting in an election.
What does it take to have an informed electorate?

5. Political Action Committee (PAC)—A group that campaigns for a candidate in order to help get them elected so they can influence government laws and policies.
Interest Groups—A group that works with lobbyists in order to get laws passed by Congress that will benefit the group.
Lobbyist—A person that works for a PAC or interest groups that tries to influence the way public officials vote.

6. Mass Media— media that is intended for a large audience
Examples: newspapers, television, radio, magazines, newspapers, etc.
Sometimes referred to as “mainstream media”

7. Adding Up Votes
Plurality Vote—A type of vote that happens when there is more than one candidate for a position in a Primary Election.
The candidate that gets the most votes out of everyone wins.
Majority Vote—A candidate must have more than half the votes in order to win the election. (ex—Presidential election)

8. Special Elections
Recall Election—Citizens can vote to remove an elected official from office and elect a new one if they are not satisfied.

9. Voting On Issues
Referendum—A way for the citizens of a state to accept or reject a law. All the citizens of a city, county or state vote for or against a law.
Initiative—A way for citizens to propose new laws and constitutional amendments.
1. Voters gather signatures of qualified voters on a petition.
2. If enough people sign it, then it is out on the ballot as referendum.

10. What things impact an election?
Protests Surveys Polls
Bias Slander
Libel Lobbyists Apathy
Mass Media Platforms Funding