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Swing vote is a multi-genre band with Jack, Marc, Ryan and Alex hailing from New Jersey. Image File history File links Gnome-globe. ... Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... An election is a decision making process where people choose people to hold official offices. ... Politics is the process by which groups make decisions. ... A by-election or bye-election is a special election held to fill a political office when the incumbent has died or resigned. ... Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an election. ... A show election or a sham election is an election that is held purely for show, that is, without any significant political purpose. ... A Fixed-term election is an election that occurs on a set date, and cannot be changed by the incumbent politician. ... A general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are up for election. ... Indirect election is a process in which voters in an election do not actually choose between candidates for an office but rather elect persons who will then make the choice. ... Rules for, and experience with, local elections vary widely across jurisdictions. ... A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... Ballots of the Argentine plebiscite of 1984 on the border treaty with Chile A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, originally a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... Gerrymandering is a controversial form of redistricting in which electoral district or constituency boundaries are manipulated for an electoral advantage. ... The process known as redistricting in the United States and redistribution in many Commonwealth countries is the changing of political borders (in many countries, specifically the electoral district/constituency boundaries) usually in response to periodic census results. ... Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      The secret ballot is a voting method in which a voters choices are confidential. ... An election is a decision making process where people choose people to hold official offices. ... // Political scientists have developed concepts of different ideal types of political parties in order to better compare them with each other. ... Voting is a method of decision making where in a group such as a meeting or an electorate attempts to gauge its opinion—usually as a final step following discussions or debates. ... A voting system is a means of choosing between a number of options, based on the input of a number of voters. ... Elections by country gives information on elections. ... This electoral calendar lists the national/federal direct elections in the countries listed in the list of countries. ...

A swing voter or floating voter is a voter who may not be affiliated with a particular political party (independents) or who will vote across party lines. Examples include "Reagan Democrats" who voted for Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, or the "Clinton Conservatives," Republicans who voted for Bill Clinton. For the Finno-Ugric people, see Votes. ... // Political scientists have developed concepts of different ideal types of political parties in order to better compare them with each other. ... The term Reagan Democrat is used by political commentators to denote traditionally Democratic voters, especially white working-class Northerners, who defected from their party to support President Ronald Reagan, in both the 1980 and 1984 elections. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ... The 1980s refers to the years of 1980 to 1989. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ...

While the swing voter is ostensibly the target of most political activity during elections, in countries without compulsory voting the political parties know that the shift from one party to another is dependent only to a small extent on swing voters. Much more important than the swing voter is the ability of one party in comparison to another in getting out its core support. As people become disillusioned with their favoured party, they are more likely to abstain than switch.

However, in the 24 countries with compulsory voting, voter turnout is often already very close to 100%, so if the major parties are roughly balanced in popularity, swing voters can have a marked influence on the outcome. This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

The 2004 US presidential election was notable for the extent to which the Bush campaign was successful in getting out its vote. Republican strategists argued that it would be a mistake to play for the centre ground, i.e. swing voters, and that they needed to put all their effort into energising their natural support. Presidential election results map. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... The Republican Party is a one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Democratic Party. ...

Who is a swing voter?

In an election, there are "certain" or "lock" votes--voters that are solidly behind a particular candidate and won't consider changing their minds no matter what the opposition says. On the other hand, swing voters are undecided about how they will vote (sometimes, they're called undecideds or simply undecided voters). In the United States, they might be dissatisfied Republicans or Democrats who are open to vote for other parties, or people who have never had a strong party affiliation. Others might be people who have not voted before, such as voters just reaching voting age. Because the votes of swing voters are "up for grabs", candidates direct much campaign effort toward them, although they must also be concerned with voter turnout among their political base. The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ...

The impact of swing voters

Sometimes, swing voters play a huge part in elections. First-time voters and swing voters are usually credited for helping Jesse Ventura win the Minnesota gubernatorial election in 1998. Swing voters who support third-party candidates take potential votes away from the major candidates. Ventura was a third-party candidate, and what was seen as two weak major-party candidates created many more swing voters than usual. The result was a third-party candidate becoming governor. Jesse Ventura (born July 15, 1951, as James George Janos), also known as the body, The Star, The Mind, and Governor Body, is an American politician, former professional wrestler, Navy UDT veteran, actor, and former radio and television talk show host. ... Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  Ranked 12th  - Total 87,014 sq mi (225,365 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 8. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ...

Examples of swing voters

Major political parties consider non-affiliated voters and independents "swing voters." United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy is considered a "swing vote" on the court, due to his moderate political leanings. In general, many centrists, liberal Republicans and conservative Democrats are considered "swing voters" since they could vote one way or the other and cannot be counted on for certain to vote with the rest of the members of their party. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., (large image) The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States... This page is about the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. ... In politics, centrism usually refers to the political ideal of promoting moderate policies which land in the middle ground between different political extremes. ... Look up liberal on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Political progressivism, a political ideology that is for change, often associated with liberal movements Liberty, the condition of being free from control or restrictions Liberal Party, members of... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Conservatism is a political philosophy that usually favors traditional values and strong foreign defense. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ...

Reading

• Analysis of Swing Voting by Philip Dalton (ISBN 1-57273-655-0)

See also

• Swing (politics)
• Swing state