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An election dictionary Click the first letter of the word or phrase you'd like to look up in our election dictionary. Use the navigation bar to jump to other letters. SEARCH DICTIONARY TOPICS A to Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A advance poll (n) traditionally a place where people who are unable to vote in their normal location on voting day, such as travellers, vote before (in advance of) election day. Now, any registered voter may vote in an advance poll. People may vote either in an advance poll or in their riding on election day, but not both. In Alberta, Advance Polls are held from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday prior to polling day. Addresses of Advance Poll locations are published in local newspapers and can also be obtained from Returning Officers. Alberta Alliance (n, proper) right-of-centre political party, founded in 2003. One Progressive Conservative MLA crossed the floor of the house to join this party in 2003. attack ads (n) political advertisements for one party or special-interest group, actively attacking the personalities, policies or people in another group or party. These are distinct from generic political ads, which only promote the views, policies and people of the sponsoring group. ^TOP B back bench (n) originally referred to the higher (back) members' benches in the federal House of Commons, farther from the floor and the Speaker of the House. Traditionally, ministers, leaders and influential members of government and the opposition sit in the front (lower) rows. A "backbencher" is an MP or provincial MLA seldom involved in party planning or policy creation, but who might sit on committees. boondoggle (n, slang) a government-sponsored make-work project or program with little purpose other than political patronage. Usually refers to a project that loses money and/or fails to perform nominal purpose. byelection (n) an election in one or more electoral districts, but not in all districts, caused by the departure of a sitting MLA (for example by death, retirement or resignation). An MLA elected in a byelection may sit in the House until the next general election. ^TOP C Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance (n, proper) official name of the political party commonly known as the "Canadian Alliance." The party was formed in 2000 after a failed attempt to merge the opposition Reform Party of Canada and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. Considered to be on the right of the Canadian political spectrum. Abbreviation: C.A. In 2003, this party joined with the P.C. party to form the Conservative Party of Canada. candidate (n) person standing for election. A candidate running in Alberta must file nomination papers signed by at least 25 people entitled to vote in the electoral district, and signed before a witness. These papers and other financial audit documents must be filed with the district electoral office by 2:00 p.m. local time on close of Nomination Day. If the candidate wishes to be identified with a political party, he or she must also submit a letter of endorsement signed by the leader of that party. Candidates must pay a deposit of $500 as a guarantee that they will comply with election rules. This is refunded if they file a proper financial statement after the election. Candidates must be eligible to vote. Members of Parliament including Senators cannot be candidates. caucus (n) 1. a closed-door meeting between a group of people planning matters of concern to all. 2. A sub-committee or faction of a larger group. 3. All the elected members of a political party. Possibly from the Algonquin word "cau-cau-is" for "adviser." caucus (v, intransitive) to meet. Although redundant, the phrase "caucus meeting" is often used. conservative (n, proper, slang) term used to describe a supporter of the Progressive Conservative party. Written with a small "c," conservative is an adjective describing a person on the right of the Canadian political spectrum. Conservative Party of Alberta (n, proper) party which has formed the government in Alberta since 1971. ^TOP D democracy (n) a system of government in which individuals cast votes for elected representatives in a multi-party election. From the Greek "demos," meaning "people." ^TOP E election (n) a vote among qualified electors. Usually, the winner of an election is the candidate who wins a majority of the votes cast. If a candidate is unopposed, they are declared the winner by acclamation. electors (n) people allowed to vote in an election. In Alberta, they must be 18 years of age and satisfy certain residency requirements. ^TOP F flat tax (n) a system of taxation where every taxpayer, individual and corporate pays the same percentage of net income as tax. Commonly, a 17-per-cent flat tax rate is suggested. This contrasts with current tax structure where – generally – higher income taxpayers pay a higher tax rate and lower-income taxpayers pay a lower rate. ^TOP G general election (n) an election in all electoral districts, caused when the sitting premier or governing party leader requests the Lieutenant Governor to dissolve the House of Assembly and call an election. The Lieutenant Governor commonly complies with this wish. However, in 1926 after the federal Mackenzie King Liberal minority coalition government collapsed, the Governor General asked Opposition leader Arthur Meighen to form a government. He was prime minister for four days before his government was defeated by coalition votes. The Governor General then called the election. gerrymander (verb, transitive) to divide voting districts so that they give an advantage to one political party over another. The word was coined after an 1812 election in Massachusetts, when Governor Elbridge Gerry was accused of rigging the vote by creating an electoral district favourable to his party. On a map, the controversial district was in the shape of a salamander. A painter named Gilbert Stuart is credited with first noting the peculiar shape. A newspaper satirist in 1813 is said to have combined the governor's name and the amphibian into the phrase "gerrymander." Note: the governor pronounced his name "GARY," and not "JERRY," but modern usage has the word "gerrymander" pronounced "jerrymander." Grit (n, slang) a member of or supporter of the Liberal party. An 1840s Upper Canada radical reformist party named the Clear Grits merged in 1870 with reformers in Quebec to form the Liberals. "Clear Grit" was a complimentary term meaning tenacious or dedicated. Green Party (n, proper) a political party whose goals include environmental sustainability, social justice, gender equity and decentralization of political power. The Greens have never won a seat in Canada, but members in European countries such as Germany, Belgium and Finland have enjoyed wider support and have influenced government policy on many occasions. ^TOP H health care(n) in Canada generally refers to a medical-care system of doctors and hospitals. Often used as shorthand to describe the Canadian medicare system, where the federal government provides a portion of the funding to each province for provincially administered medical delivery systems. Minimum standards of care are supervised by the federal government. However, individual provincial governments determine the exact treatments to be provided at no-fee and determine payment levels and doctors' salaries. husting (n) any place where a candidate meets with the electorate. Scandinavian origin. In Nordic languages the word thing refers to a group meeting or deliberative body. The Althing is Iceland's parliament. Old English adopted the word husthing, literally "house meeting," later dropping the second "h." Before written ballots were adopted in Great Britain in 1872, candidates for Parliament would meet with the electorate at a husting and the hand votes would be counted. Modern usage has added an s to the end and the word is often seen as 'hustings.' ^TOP I Independent (n, adj) a candidate who is not running as the approved nominee of a registered political party and can choose to be listed on the ballot as an Independent. ^TOP J jerrymander (v) alternate, rare, spelling of "gerrymander." ^TOP K King-Byng Affair(n) 1925-26 constitutional dispute between Prime Minister Mackenzie King and Governor General Lord Byng. The outcome of the dispute - an election victory by King - firmly established the principle that a Governor General must agree to a prime minister's request for the dissolution of Parliament and a general election. ^TOP L left, Left (adj, n) end of the political spectrum espousing humanism, socialism, managed economics. Extreme left could be identified with pure communism. Canadian politics in general is said to be more "left-leaning" than American politics because of the generally accepted socialist principles of health care, employment insurance and other government-administered policies with social impact. As a group, people following this belief are said to be part of the Left. (see also "right") Liberal (n, proper) short form for Alberta's centrist party, the Liberal Party of Alberta. The Liberal Party has not formed an Alberta government since 1921. liberal (adj) person with political beliefs leaning toward humanism, socialism, to the center or left of the political spectrum. (see also "Liberal", "conservative") Lieutenant Governor (n) person who is the Queen's representative in Alberta, and therefore the chief representative of the province. Largely a ceremonial role today. Important duties include opening the legislature and issuing a writ for general elections. The Honourable Lois E. Hole is the current Lieutenant Governor of Alberta. ^TOP M majority government (n) a government in which the ruling party elects more members to the Legislature than all other parties and Independents combined. In the current Alberta Legislature, with 83 members, a party would have to elect 42 members to hold a majority. The term is used in the assumption that, in case of voting in the House, all government members would vote the same way. minority government (n) a government in which the ruling party has not elected more members than all other parties and Independents combined. The government holds power either by forging a formal coalition with other parties and/or members, or by informal support from non-government members. MP (n) abbreviation for Member of Parliament. Confusingly, this commonly means a member of the lower house, the House of Commons and not Senators, who are members of the upper house. (see "Parliament") Member of the House of Commons (n) elected member of the lower house of Parliament, often referred to simply as "the Commons." Members are colloquially known as MPs. ^TOP MLA (n) abbreviation for Member of the Legislative Assembly (of Alberta). Most provinces call their representatives MLAs, however in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia they are known as MHAs (Members of the House of Assembly) and in Quebec MNAs (Members of the National Assembly). N New Democratic Party (n) social-democratic party on the left of Canadian politics, formed in 1961 after fusion with the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) party. It has strong roots in prairie agriculture and organized labour unions. Abbreviation is NDP. In Alberta, the party was known in the 1990s as the New Democrat party and used the abbreviation ND. non-confidence (adj) a vote in the legislature which the government loses, and which is interpreted to represent a reason to call an election... declaring the loss as an indication that the government no longer has the "confidence of the people." ^TOP O Official Opposition (n, proper) the political party that wins the second-highest number of seats in the Legislature, the Official Opposition could theoretically be asked by the Lieutenant General to form a government if the government falls on a non-confidence motion. ^TOP P PMO (n, parliamentary slang) abbreviation for Prime Minister's Office, meaning the political staff and intimate counsellors to the prime minister. Parliament (n, collective) the Sovereign and two federal legislative houses that govern Canada. The houses are: the elected lower house, the House of Commons; and the Senate, whose members are appointed by the prime minister. In common usage, people often refer to the House of Commons as "Parliament" (see MP). There are currently 308 seats in the House of Commons. There are 105 senators. New legislation that requires financial expenditure can be introduced only in the Commons. Bills of a technical, philosophical or political nature but not requiring financial expenditure can be introduced in the Senate. The sovereign's role is represented by the Governor General. party (n, collective) a group of candidates united by allegiance to a common set of principles and leader, for the purpose of winning representation in a legislature. In Alberta, someone wishing to register a party has two options: collect signatures from 0.3 per cent of the number of electors eligible to vote at the last general election (in 2004 that number is 5,769 electors). A person may also register a political party by endorsing candidates in at least half of the electoral divisions in the province at an upcoming general election. In 2004 the 'party' would be required to have candidates in at least 42 ridings. platform (n) policy statement of a political party. poll (n) 1. a survey or sampling of opinion. 2. the smallest (e.g. neighbourhood) division of an electoral district, as in "there are six polls reporting final results in this district." 3. a polling station. polling station (n) location with one or several voting booths. Also colloquially called a "poll." A voter's name is usually on an eligibility list associated with the polling station nearest his/her residence. Privy Council (n, proper) an esteemed group of advisers to the Governor General, made up of current and former premiers, cabinet ministers, senators, House Speakers and Supreme Court judges. This is essentially an honorary group, consulted for ceremonial state events. Progressive Conservative party of Alberta (n, proper) right-of-centre party founded in 1905 when the province was created. First leader was R.B. Bennett, who later became Prime Minister of Canada. The party served in opposition until the 1930s, but virtually disappeared until the 1960s. It has formed the government continuously since 1971. pundit (n) a commentator who makes pronouncements about political affairs. Often used ironically or sarcastically. From Sanskrit "pandit", an expert in religion, politics and culture. ^TOP Q Queen (n, proper) Canada's official head of state. In her role as Sovereign, Elizabeth II performs only ceremonial duties, which are usually delegated to her representative in Canada, the non-partisan and appointed Governor General. ^TOP R riding (n) a Canadian slang term for an electoral district. IN Alberta there are 83 electoral districts or ridings. Origin is Scandinavian and Old English. There are two possible histories of the phrase; both trace to Yorkshire in England. One history has the old Norse word "triding" meaning one-third, which evolved into riding over time. Yorkshire was once divided into three administrative divisions or ridings. Also, the Yorkshire custom of "Riding the Stang" meant a person to be held up for public ridicule (especially for wife-beating) was placed on a pole or scaffold ("stang") and carried around to be insulted and jeered. The pejorative term "riding" came to mean rural, unsophisticated, countryside. Rideau Hall (n, proper) since 1867, the official residence of the Governor General. Visiting kings, queens and presidents stay at this 32-hectare estate in Ottawa. When the prime minister visits the Governor General to request the dissolution of Parliament and the calling of a general election, he is said to be "paying a visit to Rideau Hall." In Alberta, the premier visits the Lieutenant Governor to request the dissolution of the Legislature and the calling of a provincial general election. right, Right (adj, n) end of the political spectrum espousing smaller government, conservative social policy, open economics. Extreme right could be identified with absolute dictatorships. Canadian politics in general is said to be more "left-leaning" than American politics because of the generally accepted socialist principles of health care and employment insurance. People on Canada's Right are more centrist than the Right in many other countries. (see also "left") ^TOP S Social Credit party (n) party which governed Alberta from 1935-71, with only three premiers in that span. Founded on the 1920s economic theories of Major C. H. Douglas involving currency flow. Radio evangelist William ("Bible Bill") Aberhart became Alberta's first Social Credit premier in 1935. His government fought losing battles with the federal parliament over credit, debt, banking and currency. He spearheaded provinces' rights struggles over natural resources. When Aberhart died in 1943, Ernest Manning took over. He discarded much of the party's original economic and religious theory during his 25-year span as premier. The party was not a strong political force during the 1980s and 90s. Socred (n, slang) term for member of the Social Credit Party. social safety net (n, collective) term used to describe government medical, legal, insurance and assistance programs that supplement income or employment in order to maintain a pre-defined standard of living or care. Special Ballot (n) a ballot used by electors who cannot vote in person at their designated polling station, or by Advance Poll. In Alberta, voters must request a Special Ballot from the Returning Officer in their electoral division. The request must come from the elector and can be made as soon as the Writ of Election is issued. Special Ballot requests are accepted in person, by mail, by facsimile, by e-mail or by telephone. ^TOP T Tory (n, slang) a person who supports or is a member of the Progressive Conservative party. Origin is thought to be old Irish for "outlaw" or "bandit." Term later applied to political movement that supported the claims of Catholic James II to the throne. In following years, Tories backed the established government political and religious regime. Eventually the Tory party became the Conservative Party in England. two-tier (adj) term to describe social services offered in parallel, where one level or tier is available to all people for free (or in return for taxation) and the other is available on an individual payment of extra fees. Often used to imply twin systems where similar services are offered both by government and business. Not to be confused with contracting out or privatization, where government-run facilities are taken over by private business but the services continue to be offered for free to consumers. Sometimes used to describe the United States health-care system, where poorer people use the free publicly funded hospitals and others pay fees for service at privately run corporate hospitals. Considered to be the political opposite of universality. Many Canadian provinces already have a tiered health-care system, in that some services (hospital, medical) are generally free to residents, and others (optometry, dental, prescription drugs) are not. Twenty-four (24) Sussex (n, slang) the street address, 24 Sussex Drive, of the prime minister's official residence in Ottawa. Built in 1866 by mill owner and member of Parliament Joseph Merrill Currier as a wedding gift for his bride, Hannah. He called the home "Gorffwysfa," a Welsh word for place of peace. The home became the official residence for the prime minister in 1951. ^TOP U universality (adj) free access for all people to government services or programs, regardless of their income levels or ability to pay. Considered incompatible with "Two-Tier". ^TOP V voters (n) synonym for electors, those people allowed by law to vote. Interest in an election is usually measured by "voter turnout," a percentage of the number of eligible voters who actually took the time to go vote. Voter turnout in Alberta elections has hovered around 53 per cent, although in the 1993 election 60 per cent of electors voted. The largest voter turnout in Alberta was 81.8 per cent, which occurred at the General Election of August 22, 1935. The smallest voter turnout was 47.25 per cent on May 8, 1986. ^TOP W Whig (n, British slang) a person who supports or is a member of the British Liberal party. The name came into use in the 1680s in England when there was the threat of establishment of a line of Catholic Kings, starting with James II. Protestants who held that Parliament could prevent such a succession were inspired by a radical Presbyterian group in Scotland, the Whigamores. In later years, the Whig party favoured political reform and fought conservatism. The Whig party changed its name to Liberal in the 1800s. From 1834-1856 there was a Whig party in the U.S., which promoted development of infrastructure such as roads, canals and railroads. Abraham Lincoln was a Whig most of his career. The term Whig is not used often in Canada but can refer to Liberals. writ (n) The document signed by the chief electoral officer instructing the returning officer in an electoral district to conduct an election (or referendum) on a specific date. The phrase "dropping the writ" has come to mean the prime minister or premier deciding that the timing is right for a general election, visiting the Governor General (or Lieutenant Governor) to request that the House be dissolved and arranging for an election date. In Alberta, general elections run 28 days. After the election, the returning officer signs the writ containing the voting result and returns it to the chief electoral officer. ^TOP X X (n) traditional mark placed by elector on a paper ballot to indicate their choice of candidate. Some ballots require the complete shading in of a white circle, others require the joining of two points in order to form a line. Canada does not use voting machines or punch-tab systems that are sometimes used in other countries. ^TOP Y youth vote (n): participation in the electoral process by young Canadians, aged 18-25. Studies show that youth voter turnout is at an unprecedented low after dropping throughout the late 1980s and 1990s. Only 25 per cent of eligible young voters cast a ballot in the 2000 federal general election. ^TOP Z Sorry. We don't have any entries for this alphabet letter yet! Please let us know if you have a suggestion. ^TOP   Sources and Links (Links will open a new window): Bibliomania David Wilton's Etymology Page Encyclopedia Britannica Online Elections Alberta