District 28
Democrats

Upcoming Important Dates

  • October 8, 2018 - Deadline to register to vote for November 2018 election
  • November 6, 2018 - Statewide Election Day

Here's a list of commonly used election and political terms and phrases: 

  • Absentee - In AZ the CORRECT use refers to a Voter who requests that a single ballot be mailed to a location that is NOT their voting address. Often confused with PEVL.
  • ADLCC - Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee
  • ADP - Arizona Democratic Party
  • Base Universe - Group of registered voters that a political party knows will vote for their candidates.
  • CD - Congressional District: there are 9 in AZ, each with 1 US Congressperson (elected in even-numbered years).
  • Circle of Friends - Fundraising organization benefitting Maricopa County Democratic Party.
  • Compliance - Conducting campaign activities within legal parameters set out by federal or state statute.
  • Coordinated Campaign - Campaign in which candidates and the Democratic Party combine resources to increase voter turnout.
  • Ds & Rs - Democrats & Republicans
  • DCCC (D Triple C or D Trip) - Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
  • DNC - Democratic National Committee
  • DSCC - Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
  • Field - Everything having to do with contacting voters by phone or at their door.
  • Field Director - Person in charge of field activities during a campaign.
  • Field Organizer (FO) -Person who trains and leads teams of volunteers to implement a field plan for a specific area (usually an LD, or part of an LD). Reports to an RFD (Regional Field Director).
  • Field Program - Campaign plan detailing cost, timeline, number of voters to contact, types of voters to contact, volunteers needed, etc.
  • GOTV - Get Out The Vote: Action of contacting voters to vote.
  • LD - Legislative District: There are 30 in AZ, (19 in Maricopa County) each with 2 State Representatives and 1 State Senator (elected in even-numbered years).
  • Leg - (pronounced “ledge”) Arizona State Legislature
  • MCDP - Maricopa County Democratic Party
  • Neighborhood Team - Volunteers (PCs and non-PCs) working together to conduct voter contact activities. Teams consist of a Leader, Data Captain, Canvass/Phone Bank Captain, Volunteer Recruiter and (many) Members. Team Leaders report to FOs.
  • Neighborhood Team Leader (NTL) - A team leader in charge of GOTV voter contact events (canvasses and phone banks) Reports to FO.
  • Other - Party not registered. Usually synonymous with Registered Independent, though there is no official Independent Party in AZ.
  • PC - Precinct Committee Person: Party representative elected in primary of even-numbered years or appointed by county party chair, then approved by County Board of Supervisors.
  • Persuasion Universe - Group of registered voters who we suspect will vote our way with a little nudge. Most are Independents (some are Republicans, most often some Republican women).
  • PEVL - Permanent Early Voting List: AZ program that allows voters to receive all ballots by mail.
  • Precinct - Smallest defined voting area, averaging around 2,700 registered voters.
  • Regional Field Director (RFD) - Person in charge of field activities in a defined region (an area of multiple LDs). Reports to Field Director.
  • Single Shot - Election strategy in competitive LDs (Voter Registration of Ds and Rs is within a narrow range) where it makes mathematical sense to run only 1 Democrat for state house and let our voters know to ONLY vote for the D (even though they could vote for 2).
  • State Committee - Body made up of 1 of every 3 Elected PCs. Members, elected in November/December of even numbered years, attend meetings 3 times a year to conduct business of the Arizona Democratic Party.
  • Swing Voters - Could refer to registered Independents who don't have particularly good voting records and/or remain undecided (or won't reveal) as to how they will vote until the last few days.
  • Targeting - Creating a particular Universe or Universes of registered voters in a field plan.
  • Turf Cutting - Taking a list of voters in a given geographic area and creating maps for canvasses to easily find them.
  • Turnout Universe - Group of registered Democrats and Dem-leaning independent voters who are less likely to vote -- unless we engage them and turn them out.
  • Universe - Group of registered voters with specific voting patterns
  • VAN - Voter Activation Network. Database of voters and volunteers the Democratic Party uses for campaigns