This book provides readers with ready reference insight into how campaigns and elections, the hallmark of any democracy, are conducted in the United States. The edition has been redesigned and updated with new entries covering the vital current elections topics that readers want to know about. Entries range from short definitions of terms such as at-large
and front-runner
to in-depth essays exploring vital aspects of campaigns and elections, such as the right to vote, turnout trends, and the history, evolution, and current state of House, Senate, presidential, and some state-level elections. Coverage will continue to entail the stages in the campaign process and the general election; the roles of political consultants, the media, and political parties; debates around term limits, majority-minority districts, and campaign finance; amendments, legislation, and court cases that have shaped electoral, campaign, and voting matters; voter turnout and voting rights in the United States; and highlights of presidential elections throughout U.S. history. New to this title are entries discussing social media and communication, political and racial gerrymandering, districting and disenfranchisement, absentee and mail-in voting, new and revised state-by-state election and voter laws, foreign interference and misinformation campaigns, election-related violence, and minority and diverse group candidates and voter participation.