Words you might see or hear during an election

block vote	A way of voting in which your vote represents other members of your organization, especially at trade union meetings.
by-election	A special election, held between regular elections, when an area votes. A by-election can be 'called' if an existing M.P. dies or retires.
campaign (n)	In an election a campaign is a political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to win the vote of the electorate. Often called a 'political campaign' or an 'election campaign'.
campaign (v)	The things a candidate does to be elected. (KIssing babies, shaking hands, giving speeches to the WI etc.)
candidate (n)	The person who is running in an election.
coalition (n)	If there's no outright winner in an election a government can be formed in which several parties cooperate.
constituent (n)	A citizen who is represented in a government by officials for whom he or she votes.
constituency (n)	Each of the electoral areas or divisions in the UK which elect one or more members to parliament.
debate (n)	A formal discussion of the merits of something.
debate (v)	To argue for and against something.
deposit (n)	The sum of money that a candidate must pay in return for the right to stand in British parliamentary elections.
dissolution (n)	The termination of the current parliament, which has to take place before a general election.
dissolved (v)	Once the dissolution of parliament has been announced, we say it has been dissolved.
elect (v)	The act of voting to select the winner of a political office.
election (n)	The formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office.
electorate (n)	The people who are eligible to vote in an election.
general election	An election held for a nation's primary legislative body.
gerrymander	To redraw electoral district boundaries for political advantage.
government	The political body with the power to make and/or enforce laws for a country,
House of Commons	The lower house of the British parliament.
House of Lords	The upper house of the British parliament.
independent	A candidate who is not controlled by a political party.
leader	The person who runs a political party. (Margaret Thatcher was the leader of the Conservatives).
local election	County, unitary authority, borough, district, city, town or parish elections.
MP	Abbreviation of Member of Parliament.
Member of Parliament	The person who represents their constituency in the House of Commons.
opposition	The major political party opposed to the party in office and prepared to replace it if elected.
party	An organization formed to gain political power.
policy	A deliberate act of government that in some way alters or influences the society or economy outside the government.
political	Related to politics.
politician	A person active in politics.
politics	The process by which governments make decisions.
PM	Abbreviation of Prime Minister.
prime minister	The person who holds the position of head of the government.
proxy vote	The delegation of someone to vote on someone else's behalf.
rhetoric	The art of using language as a means to persuade someone to your way of thinking.
run	To campaign to stand for a political position.
spin	To present the facts in such a way as to sway public opinion.
spin doctor
veto	A vote that blocks a decision.

Naturally Speaking

Voting

I'd like to register to vote.
I'm on the electoral registry.
I haven't had my poll card, yet.
Where is the polling station?
Have you voted, yet?
Are you going to vote?
Which party are you voting for?*
Who are you going to vote for?*
Who got the most votes?

*Be careful about asking this. For many people in the UK, voting is a personal matter.

Dialogue

Mr and Mrs Smith are discussing the elections.

Election - Conversation
Mrs Smith:	Are you coming to vote? The polling station will be closing in an hour.
Mr Smith :	It's raining!
Mrs Smith:	So what?
Mr Smith:	I can't be bothered. It doesn't matter who I vote for, we always end up worse off. They're all as bad as each other.
Mrs Smith:	Well don't complain to me if you don't like the policies of whoever wins.
Mr Smith:	I don't think anyone will win. They're predicting a hung parliament.
Mrs Smith:	Well if no one bothers to vote, I guess they'll be right. I'll be back in ten.

Primaries 2013

Monday, August 12, 2013

Winner Massa begins looking to 2015

Renewal Front leader Sergio Massa celebrates last night with his wife Malena Galmarini and son Tomás.

By Luciana Bertoia

In the most closely watched race, Renewal Front leader bests Insaurralde
Tigre Mayor Sergio Massa defeated the ruling Victory Front (FpV) candidate Lomas de Zamora Mayor Martín Insaurralde in the most closely watched contest of yesterday’s primaries. But the Renewal Front leader made it clear he was already looking ahead, giving a message aimed at expressing his intentions to run as a presidential candidate in 2015.
He later tried to tone down the expectations. “Step by step,” Massa said yesterday amid calls from supporters to declare his presidential intentions.
Buenos Aires province was the bastion nobody wanted to lose and Massa managed to get the majority of votes necessary to outdo his former friend and now main opponent, Insaurralde.
Around half past ten, Massa appeared on stage with his wife Malena Galmarini, holding each other and their son Tomás. The Renewal Front leader claimed victory, but promised to continue working to gain the confidence of the electorate with a focus on what were his campaign topics: lowering crime, inflation, taxes. He also expressed support for the Supreme Court.
“This project is paying close attention to Argentina’s destiny,” Massa highlighted in a way that suggested an intention not only to run for Congress but also to create a political leadership as an alternative for 2015.
“We should stop looking backwards and focus on the future,” he added in what could be considered a reference to the Kirchnerite administration’s human rights policy.
In his short speech, Massa also referenced Pope Francis by calling for unity within diversity.
A cheering crowd sang and clapped their hands in approval.
“Massa for president, Massa for president,” they chanted. They did not forget Governor Daniel Scioli, singing: “You, piece of shit, who has always been a coward,” they chanted using the insult uttered by Galmarini last week.
Although a repeat of this result in October is not a given, Massa undoubtedly proved an obstacle for President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner yesterday, surely reminding her of 2009 midterms, when her late husband, former President Néstor Kirchner, was defeated by Francisco de Narváez.
‘A YOUNG FRONT’
Around noon, the 41-year old mayor cast his vote, along with his wife, who voted at a different polling station. Seeking to avoid violating the electoral curfew, the couple refused to refer to the election, but they used the cameras to deny rumours indicating that Massa’s van had been shot at days ago, as published in the daily Perfil.
Massa’s campaign headquarters were set up in a large event room in Tigre City, around 30 kilometres outside Buenos Aires City, where most of the candidates running for Congress in the province decided to stay. Banners in the Renewal Front’s black, red and yellow decorated the setting.
First to arrive were Massa’s advisers, including the economic team led by former Economy Minister Miguel Peirano and economist Ricardo Delgado. Then, former head of the SIDE, intelligence secretary Miguel Ángel Toma and Congressman Eduardo Amadeo arrived at the headquarters, where loud music started to play minutes after 6pm as a signal for celebration.
Former Civic Coalition Congressman Adrián Pérez, who is running in the seventh slot on the Renewal Front ticket, arrived at half past six, expressing his optimism of a good performance. However, half an hour later, former chief of the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA) José Ignacio de Mendiguren gave a message that was interpreted by some as a way to justify a possible defeat.
“We are happy because we are a young front, and we have to prepare better for the October elections,” De Mendiguren said. “In October, we will see a steadier performance.”
Health Workers’ union leader Héctor Daer brought optimism when he arrived.
“The spread we have is wider than what it is being reported,” the union leader said with a smile on his face.
Shortly after 9pm, Almirante Brown’s Darío Giustozzi arrived, making jokes and praising the peaceful nature of the elections.
“We did not think we would be able to build up such a political front in 40 days. People understood our message,” he said.
Asked by the Herald why the election developed into such a tight race when Massa started the campaign with a difference of more than ten points over Insaurralde, he replied: “The FpV should be analyzing why they got more than 50 percent of votes two years ago, and now they lost the election”.
One of the most critical politicians to attend Massa’s campaign headquarters was former Kirchnerite Cabinet Chief Alberto Fernández, who expressed his satisfaction at having defeated the party he used to be a part of.
“A new history should be written from now on. Sergio has been courageous enough to start a new political project, and now I think the government should try to understand why they lost so many votes,” Fernández said.
Packed with journalists and some advisers early in the evening, the room seemed to be lacking in political activists. Some Tigre residents arrived early without visible party insignia to see if they could meet the Tigre mayor.
Political activists only appeared at 9.30pm, playing drums and commencing celebrations when the results seemed decisive.
@LucianaBertoia