electoral

Everyday

1. Electoral means to do with elections, where people vote to choose leaders or representatives. tree →
2. It is used in phrases such as «electoral roll» (the list of people allowed to vote) and «Electoral College» (the US system for choosing a president). tree →

In the lessons

In politics and citizenship lessons, «electoral» describes how voting works: electoral systems, electoral districts, electoral fraud (cheating in elections). In the USA, the president is chosen by electoral votes from each state. In the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, adults put their names on an electoral roll. Phrases: «electoral roll», «Electoral College», «electoral system», «electoral fraud».

Examples

• Mum checked she was on the electoral roll. tree →
• The USA uses the Electoral College to pick the president. tree →
• Australia has an electoral commission that runs elections. tree →
• Electoral fraud means cheating in an election. tree →
• Each state gets a number of electoral votes. tree →
• Our class made its own electoral rules for choosing a class rep. tree →

Note

Adjective only; no comparative. Related: elect, election, elector, electorate. Stress: e-LEC-tor-al. In maths, electoral results are often given as votes, percentages or seats; a candidate with the most votes may not have more than half.