ELECTION LINGO.

• Author: Smith, Patricia
• Position: NATIONAL

YOU'LL BE HEARING A LOT OF CAMPAIGN JARGON AS NOVEMBER APPROACHES. THESE ARE THE TERMS YOU'RE LIKELY TO ENCOUTER MOST.

BATTLEGR0UND STATES

States with a large number of undecided voters are known as battleground states because candidates campaign hard there, fighting for every vote. They're also known as swing states because in different election years, they've swung their support from one party to the other (see map, p. 14).

CONSERVATIVES & LIBERALS

Conservatives, often said to be "on the right," generally think government should play a limited role in regulating business and instituting social reforms. They tend to vote Republican. Liberals, often said to be "on the left," generally think government should play an active role in regulating business and solving social problems. They tend to vote Democratic.

ELECTORAL VOTE

Technically, the presidency is decided not by the popular vote (total votes nationwide) but by the electoral vote. In the Electoral College system established by the Constitution, each state has the same number of electoral votes as it has representatives in the two houses of Congress. The total number of electoral votes is 538 (535 for the states plus 3 for Washington, D.C.). To become president, a candidate must win at least 270 electoral votes (a majority of the 538). Most of the time, the popular-vote winner is also the electoral vote winner. The most recent exception was 2016, when Democrat Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but Republican Donald Trump won the electoral vote--and the White House.

MUDSLINGING

Particularly negative-and often nasty and very personal--campaigning. But watch out for candidates who accuse their opponents of mudslinging when, really, they just don't like what's being said about them and want to minimize its impact.

POPULIST

A politician who appeals to, or claims to represent, the common people. Populists can belong to any political party and be right-wing or left-wing. (President Trump is considered by many to be a populist.)

RED & BLUE STATES

Election maps on TV have long been color-coded to show how each party is doing. Red became standard for states voting Republican, blue for those voting Democratic. Recently, most states have consistently voted for one party or the other, becoming known as red or blue states.

SOUND SITES

Brief, catchy phrases that politicians use to sum up their positions or attack their rivals. The snappier a comment, the better its chances of being replayed in TV...