English vocabulary to talk about elections

In today’s English lesson you will learn some of the key vocabulary we use in English when we talk about elections.

Elections are an important part of many countries around the world. Sometimes they are fair, sometimes they are not but their outcome may affect many people.

I first voted when I was 18 years old. I was excited to exercise my democratic right for the first time.

Down to the local polling booth I went – in Australia it’s normally a school – and voted for the party that I thought best represented my ideas.

Australia holds federal elections every three years. We also have local and state elections too.

Voting is compulsory in Australia so if you are over 18 years of age, you have to vote. If you don’t, you get a fine.

You decide who you want to vote for, then you put your ballot in the ballot box.

In other countries voting is not obligatory so not everyone goes to vote. The voter turnout is low.

Some people would argue that this is bad for democracy.

Politicians

In Australia, the country is divided into electorates for election purposes. Each electorate is represented by a member of parliament.

During an election candidates from other political parties challenge the sitting member.

The main parties in Australia are the Liberal Party, the Labor Party, the Greens, the National Country Party, and the One Nation Party.

If the Liberal Party wins the election they normally form a coalition with the National Country Party.

We hope that elections are honest and fair but in some countries they are not.

When an election is not fair we call it a rigged election.

How often do you have to vote in your country?

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