GLOSSARY OF TERMS DATABASE | U.S. Election Assistance Commission

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Glossary Term	Definition
call an election	When an authorized government authority proclaims that an election will take place at a particular time.
campaign	A series of democratic activities to influence a political vote for or against candidates or ballot questions.
campaign contributions	Anything of value given, loaned or advanced to influence a political vote for or against candidates or ballot questions.
campaign disclosure	The act of reporting campaign contributions.
campaign expense report	Report that details political expenses required to be filed by a governing authority.
campaign finance	The act of raising and spending funds for political purposes.
campaign finance disclosure statements	Reports that detail political contributions and expenses required to be filed by a governing authority.
campaign finance laws	A set of laws that detail the rules and regulations for raising and spending funds and contributions for political purposes.
campaign finance report	Reports that detail political contributions and expenses required to be filed by a governing authority.
campaign finance reporting requirements	A set of requirements that detail the rules and regulations for raising and spending funds and contributions for political purposes.
campaign materials	The documents, resources and other materials used to influence a political vote for or against candidates or ballot questions. Campaign materials may include t-shirts, buttons, bumper stickers, yard signs, and other printed materials.
campaign signs	A sign advertising a particular vote.
cancellation notices	Written messages to voters informing them they have been removed from voter registration lists.
cancellation of registration	The act of removing a voter from a voter registration list.
Cancelled Voter Status	A term used by election officials when a voter's record shows that the voter has been removed from the voting rolls.
candidacy	The state of being a candidate.
candidate	Person contending in a contest for office. A candidate may be explicitly presented as one of the choices on the ballot or may be a write-in candidate.
candidate committee	A group of individuals organized for political purposes to support or oppose candidates for public office.
candidate nomination procedures	The official procedures to propose an individual to be considered for public office.
candidate petitions	A formal written document signed by registered voters to request the names of candidates be placed on election ballots.
candidate registration	The act of completing the required paperwork to become a certified candidate for public office.
candidate roster	A formal list of candidates.
candidate statement	A written summary of information about a candidate for public office for the purposes of influencing voters.
Candidate Withdrawal	When a person announces a candidacy or files for an election but later decides—by their own choice— not to appear on the final ballot.
candidate withdrawal periods	The time frame when an individual may remove their name from the list of candidates for public office.
candidate's profile
candidates list	Official listing of all qualified candidates for a public office up for election.
canvass	(1) Aggregating or confirming every valid ballot cast and counted, which includes absentee, early voting, Election Day, provisional, challenged, and uniformed and overseas citizen. (2) Solicit votes.
canvass report	A detailed report of activities and information about the canvass of an election.
canvassing board	A group of individuals working together, following specific rules and procedures, to compile, review and validate election materials.
carry an election	To win an election.
cast	The final action a voter takes in selecting contest options and irrevocably confirming their intent to vote as selected.
cast ballot	Ballot that has been deposited by the voter in the ballot box or electronically submitted for tabulation.
cast vote record	Permanent record of all votes produced by a single voter whether in electronic, paper or other form. Also referred to as ballot image when used to refer to electronic ballots.
cast your ballot	The act of a voter to place their completed paper ballot in a ballot box, to confirm and record their choices on a touch screen voting device at a voting location, to place a completed ballot in the mail or a drop box or to send a completed ballot through electronic transmission to an elections office. Once a ballot is cast, it usually cannot be changed.
casting a vote