This November the American public, specifically voters, will be hearing a great deal of campaign jargon which may lead to confusion and misinformation. As a guide for the presidential election season, this article will explain some of the key terms one needs to know to be better informed.

The New York Times’ Upfront magazine from September 5th, 2016 is the primary source consulted for this article.

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ELECTORAL VOTE

The electoral vote decides the president through a system called the electoral college. States are granted as many electoral votes as they have representatives in Congress. Generally, the popular vote and the electoral vote coincide.

SUPER PACS

Super pacs consist of large groups that donate money in support of a particular candidate or issue. These are legal as long as they do not coordinate with the candidate’s staff.

BATTLEGROUND STATES

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Battleground states are states that contain a large number of undecided voters. Battleground states prove important to presidential candidates because the candidates are inclined to make a large push in their campaigns in these states.

MUDSLINGING

Mudslinging entails a negative yet popular form of campaigning that a candidate will use to show why the other candidate is not fit or qualified to be the president.

SWING VOTERS

Swing voters are voters who are not loyal to either major political party. Swing voters decide the candidate they plan to vote for based on the issues and policies each candidate promotes.

 RED & BLUE STATES

Red and blue states show which ones vote predominantly for the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. Red represents Republican strongholds and blue Democratic.