Ballot paper: This is the piece of paper you use to make your vote. It shows a list of candidates and voters have to write a cross next to their choice.
Candidate: A person who wants to be elected or has been nominated to be elected is called a candidate.
Canvasser: People who want a candidate to win can help them by becoming a canvasser for their election campaign. A canvasser asks voters who they will vote for and tries to get as many people as possible to vote for their candidate.
Constituency: The UK is divided up into 646 areas called constituencies. The voters in each constituency get to elect 1 MP to represent the people in their area.
Election campaign: Around election time, candidates and their supporters organise events and activities to convince people that they are the best person to vote for.
Electoral register: Across the UK there are electoral registers. These are lists of all the people who have decided they want to vote at elections. You must have your name on this list before you can vote.
Electorate: This is what we call everyone who is able to vote in an election.
Government: The institution which runs the country. The Prime Minister selects the Members of the Government from MPs, Lords and very occasionally senior people outside Parliament.
Manifesto: This is something that political parties write around the time of an election, which tells us what they would do if the got elected. A manifesto usually contains pledges (plans of action) on important issues and is often a big part of the election campaign.
MP: At a general election, the people in a constituency (area) can vote to decide who will represent them in Parliament. The person they choose is called a Member of Parliament or an MP.
Parliament: Where new laws are debated and created.
Poll card: This card is sent to everybody who is registered to vote – it has important information about the election like when, where and what time to vote.
Referendum
What is a referendum?
A referendum is when people vote “yes” or “no” to a proposed idea. Almost every person over the age of 18 is entitled to vote, provided they are on the electoral register.
How are referendums different from an election?
In an election you choose someone who you think would do a good job of representing your views. In a referendum it is you (and not your elected representative) who actually decides whether a proposal is accepted or rejected.
Why are referendums held?
Sometimes, the Government decides that the people need to make a decision directly. Referendums are very rare and only tend to be on issues of the highest importance. For example, in 1999 the people of Scotland voted “yes” to establishing a Scottish Parliament separate from the UK Parliament.
Referendums are not held frequently in the UK. The only time a referendum has been put to the entire UK was on 6 June 1975. The subject was whether to remain a member of the European Community. Two-thirds of those who voted said "Yes".
What do parties do during a referendum?
Political parties will usually state their preference and campaign for either the “Yes” or “No” option. Instead of trying to win votes for their party they will try to convince the public to vote a certain way.
Why is the question important in a referendum?
In a referendum it is vital that the question is fair and easy to understand. If the question is written in a confusing or biased way, the result of the referendum will be unfair. The Electoral Commission is an independent organisation which looks at how clear and fair the referendum question is before letting it go ahead.
How is the result decided?
If most people vote “yes”, then the policy or plan will go ahead. If “no” gets the most votes then the policy or plan is dropped.