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Voter Toolkit
Aadvance 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. Advance polls are held between noon and 8:00 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Monday, the 10th, 9th and 7th days before election day. Alliance (n, proper, slang) short-form name for Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance party. Abbreviation: C.A. In 2003 the C.A. joined with the P.C. party to form the Conservative Party of Canada. 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. Bback bench (n) refers to the higher (back) members' benches in the 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 seldom involved in party planning or policy creation, but who might sit on parliamentary committees. Bloc Quebecois (n, proper) with a main goal of pushing for the sovereignty of Quebec, the political party doesn't field candidates outside that province. It was launched in 1990 by MPs from other parties who were angry over the defeat of constitutional reforms favourable to Quebec. The BQ held 33 seats at the end of the last session of Parliament. 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) a parliamentary election in one or more electoral districts, but not in all districts, caused by the departure of a sitting MP (for example by death, retirement or resignation). An MP elected in a byelection may sit in the House until the next general election. CCanadian 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 must file nomination papers signed by at least 100 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, which is the Monday 21 days before the election. 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 $1,000 as a guarantee that they will comply with election rules. This is refunded if they file a proper financial statement after the election. 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 formerly used to describe a supporter of the Progressive Conservative party, now used to describe members of the Conservative Party of Canada. Written with a small "c," conservative is an adjective describing a person on the right of the Canadian political spectrum., which would include Canadian Alliance supporters. Conservative Party of Canada (n, proper) created in late 2003 from a merger of the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative parties. Since 1993, vote-splitting in traditionally conservative ridings by those two right-leaning parties has boosted the majority of the centrist Liberal government Ddemocracy (n) a system of government in which individuals cast votes for elected representatives in a multi-party election. From the Greek "demos," meaning "people." Eelection (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 a federal election, they must be 18 years of age and satisfy certain residency requirements. Fflat 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. Ggeneral election (n) a parliamentary election in all electoral districts, caused when the sitting prime minister or governing party leader requests the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election. The Governor General usually complies with this wish. However, in 1926 after a 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 Canadian 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) the fifth-largest political party to nominate candidates, its goals include environmental sustainability, social justice, gender equity and decentralization of political power. The Greens have never won a federal 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. Hhealth 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.' IIndependent (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. JJust Society (n) an election slogan that helped Pierre Trudeau's Liberals win the 1968 federal election. Implicit in it was a belief that government could bring about measures that would reduce social inequalities and lead to a more equitable society. KKing-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. Lleft, 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 Canada's centrist party, the Liberal Party of Canada. Formed in the 1880s with a merger between the Upper Canada Grits and the Quebec reform radicals. liberal (adj) person with political beliefs leaning toward humanism, socialism, to the center or left of the political spectrum. (see also "Liberal", "conservative") Mmajority government (n) a government in which the ruling party elects more members to the House of Commons than all other parties and Independents combined. In the current session, with 308 members, a party would have to elect 155 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. The first minority federal government was in 1921. The Conservative government re-elected only 50 members and fell to third place. The Liberals, which elected 116 members, took power. The Progressive Party elected 63 MPs. 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. NNew 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. OOfficial Opposition (n, proper): the political party that wins the second-highest number of seats in the House of Commons, the Official Opposition could theoretically be asked by the Governor General to form a government if the government falls on a non-confidence motion. PPMO (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 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 1970 the concept of a Registered Party was introduced to federal elections. A Registered Party receives benefits such as listing on the ballot. To be registered, a party must disclose contribution and funding information. To qualify for registration, Elections Canada says a party must run 50 candidates in a general election. Changes to that regulation are pending. 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 (n, proper) Canadian political party formed in 1942 by the merger of the Progressive and Conservative parties. The Conservatives were the country's first ruling party, with the election of Sir John A. Macdonald in 1867, although in the late-1800s the party was known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party." Considered to be on the political right-of-centre of Canadian politics. Abbreviation is P.C. The party voted itself out of existence in 2003 by merging with the Canadian Alliance. 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. QQueen (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. Rriding (n) a Canadian term for an electoral district. There are 308 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.
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." right, Right (adj, n) end of the political spectrum espousing smaller government, conservative social policy, open economics. Extreme right could be identified with pure facism. 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") Ssocial 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. Stornoway (n, proper) the official residence of the Leader of the Opposition. Built in 1914 by an Ottawa grocer. Given the name "Stornoway" by its next residents, the Perley Robertsons, after their ancestral home in Scotland. During the Second World War, it was home to Princess Juliana of the Netherlands and her daughters, one of whom was born in Ottawa. The house became a residence for the official Leader of the Opposition in 1950. TTory (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. In Canada, it's not yet clear whether the term will be used for members of the new Conservative Party of Canada. 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. Uuniversality (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". Vvoters (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 Canadian elections is usually around 60 per cent. WWhig (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 deciding that the timing is right for an election, visiting the Governor General to request that Parliament be dissolved and arranging for an election date to be set no sooner than 36 days in the future. After the election, the returning officer signs the writ containing the voting result and returns it to the chief electoral officer. XX (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. Yyouth 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 general election. ZSorry. We don't have any entries for this alphabet letter yet! Please let us know if you have a suggestion.
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SEARCH DICTIONARY TOPICS A to Z
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