Politics is full of jargon, and political reporting often assumes that everyone still remembers middle-school civics class. These are some of the reasons a lot of people pay little to no attention until an election is looming. To help make it feel a little more accessible, we’ve started this glossary of common terms and concepts.
If there’s something you’ve been wondering about that’s not on the list, please let us know by emailing [email protected] or texting 216-220-9398.
Ballot: the sheet of paper that voters mark up to cast their votes. The ballots are scanned by machines that count the votes.
- Mail-in ballot: Voters can request a ballot to complete at home and mail back to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections to be counted. For the 2024 election, mail-in ballots must be requested by Oct. 29 and returned by Nov. 5. The process is explained on the BOE’s web site.
- Sample ballot: a replica of a real ballot, available on the BOE web site.
Branches of government: The federal (U.S.), state and local governments each have three branches: the legislative, executive and judicial.
The legislative branch makes laws and approves budgets.
At the federal level, the legislative branch is the U.S. Congress (which includes the House of Representatives and the Senate).
At the state level: The Ohio Legislature, also called the General Assembly (which includes the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate).
At the local level: City councils and Cuyahoga County Council.
The executive branch is led by one person (president, governor or mayor) who sets broad policies and appoints the officials who carry out the work of establishing those policies and enforcing the laws passed by the legislative branch.
The judicial branch, or courts, determines whether laws passed by the legislative branch and policies set by the executive branch are constitutional. There are federal, state and local courts. In Ohio, judges are elected. (See: Judges.)
Early voting: This includes both mail-in voting and in-person voting at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, 2925 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Before going, check the hours and parking options.
Electoral College: As the National Archives explains, “It’s a process, not a place.” The Electoral College refers to the process through which U.S. voters choose a president. In each state, the political parties appoint a number of people (electors) equal to the number of senators and representatives from that state. (In Ohio, that total is 17.) Once each state counts all the votes and determines which presidential candidate won there, it certifies that party’s electors to cast the state’s electoral votes.
In other words, the presidential election is really 50 statewide elections (plus Washington, D.C.). Both candidates are trying to win enough states to secure at least 270 of the 538 total electoral votes.
This system is why every election there are a few “swing states” that get far more attention from both parties than all the rest. It’s also why sometimes the candidate who wins the most votes nationwide does not actually become president (like Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Al Gore in 2000).
ID: Ohio requires identification with a photo to vote. These are the only acceptable forms of ID for voting:
• Ohio driver’s license or Ohio ID card (mobile ID is not accepted).
• An interim identification form issued by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles
• A U.S. passport or passport card
• A U.S. military ID card, Ohio National Guard ID card, or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card (that includes the voter’s name and photograph)
Anyone who needs a state ID can get one for free at their local BMV office.
🗳️For more on this year’s November election, visit our Election Signals 2024 page.
Gerrymandering: The practice of drawing the boundaries of political districts to group voters in ways that benefit one party over another. It’s sometimes referred to “politicians choosing their voters.”
Issue: In the context of elections, issue can mean a topic that voters want candidates to address, like climate change or the affordable housing crisis. It can also refer to an item on the ballot that involves voting yes or no, not for a candidate. In 2024, all Ohioans can vote on Issue 1, a proposed amendment to the state constitution that is intended to end gerrymandering (see above). Cuyahoga County voters will decide Issue 55, a proposal to increase the cigarette tax to provide more funding for arts and culture organizations. And in Cleveland, voters are being asked to decide Issue 49, a levy to fund CMSD schools.
Judges (judicial elections): Judges are attorneys who preside over criminal and civil court cases. In Ohio, elected judges serve six-year terms. In 2024, Cleveland-area voters can choose judges for Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, the Eighth District Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Ohio.
Levy: A tax for a specific purpose, like funding schools, that citizens approve or reject directly by vote.
Polling place (polling location): Every registered voter is assigned a place to vote in person on election day. You can find yours by entering your last name and date of birth on this page of the BOE web site.
Representative to Congress: Every state sends people to the U.S. House of Representatives (see Branches of Government). Representatives serve two-year terms. The number of representatives from each state depends on its population; Ohio has 15. Cleveland and eastern Cuyahoga County are in the district of U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown. Her main challenger is Republican Alan Rapaport.
Senator (U.S.): Every state elects two people to serve in the U.S. Senate (see Branches of Government). Senators serve six-year terms. In 2024, Ohio’s major-party candidates are Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat who was first elected to the Senate in 2006, and Bernie Moreno, the Republican challenger.
Ohio’s other senator is JD Vance, who is running for vice president with Donald Trump. If they win, Vance will have to resign from the Senate. If that happens, Gov. Mike DeWine would appoint a replacement who would have the option of seeking election to the seat in 2026.
State Representative and State Senator: All representatives to the Ohio House and state senators in even-numbered districts are up for re-election. State representatives serve two-year terms and state senators serve four-year terms.