Standing, Running, Voting: The Language of Elections
Vocabulary
Repeat each word, definition, and example sentence after your tutor.
election
Noun
ɪˈlɛkʃən
the process of choosing someone for a political or official job by voting
Voter turnout for the presidential election was the highest in 20 years.
policy
Noun
ˈpɒlɪsi:
a plan or rule put in place or proposed by an organization or government
The company's parental leave policy is being updated to bring it in line with the new government standards.
institute
Noun
ˈɪnstɪˌtuːt
an organization where people do a particular type of work in education, research, science, etc.
The report was compiled by the country's foremost economic institutes.
booth
Noun
buθ
a small space or room that allows for privacy or separation from others
I still hadn't made up my mind who to vote for when I got into the voting booth.
eligible
Adjective
ˈɛlɪdʒəbəl
allowed to do or have something
I'm turning 18 next month, so I'll be eligible to vote in the next election.
official
Adjective
əˈfɪʃəl
having been approved by an authority
According to official estimates, more than 40,000 US soldiers died in combat during the Vietnam War.
Exercise 2
Article
Standing, Running, Voting: The Language of Elections
A record 2 billion people around the world are voting in major elections in 2024, according to the Center for American Progress, a US policy institute.
In other words, more people than ever are "going to the polls."
We wouldn't usually use that expression when speaking, but you'll hear it often on the news. It means people are going to "cast their vote" — make their choice.
The place where people cast their vote is often called a "polling station." And the private place inside the polling station where you cast your vote is called a "polling booth" or a "voting booth."
You'll probably get a "ballot paper" or "voting slip" with a list of the people you can vote for.
The media sometimes describes voting as "casting a ballot." And you put that paper in the "ballot box" so it can be counted — although these days it might go into a counting machine called a "ballot tabulator."
The people you can vote for are the "candidates." They've been "running" in the election, or "running for office."
It might also be said they're "standing for election," which means the same thing, but sounds less tiring!
These people have spent weeks or months "campaigning," or "on the campaign trail" — trying to encourage the public to vote for them.
The voting public is called "the electorate," which refers to anyone who's eligible to vote.
When all the votes have been cast, any "spoiled" ballot papers will be put to one side. These are papers that have not been completed correctly.
Now, the counting begins.
But not all polling stations will finish counting at the same time. As more stations report their results, different news agencies will try to "call" the election and say which candidate they think has won.
Sometimes they're wrong — and the public might not be sure of the winner until every vote is counted and an official announcement is made!
Discussion
1.
Were you familiar with any of these expressions before reading the article?
2.
When was the last election in your country? Was the result surprising?
3.
Do you always vote in referendums and elections?
4.
What do you find most annoying about election season?
5.
Is voter turnout typically high for elections in your country?
