Glossary
Terms Used in Campaigns and Elections
Absentee Voting — A system that gives voters who cannot come to polling places a means to cast a ballot by mailing in their votes. The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act governs absentee voting in presidential elections. Ballot Initiative — An example of direct democracy in which citizens may propose legislative measures or amendments to State constitutions. Some initiatives propose the repeal of existing State laws. States vary in the number of signatures they require to place an initiative on the ballot. Buckley v. Valeo — A landmark 1976 U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld the Federal Election…
