Absentee voters | Electors who are unable to come to the polling booth. (Image: News18 Creative)
Agent | A person who represents candidates in their dealings with the electoral authorities and runs their campaigns. (Image: News18 Creative)
Ballot | Another term for vote. (Image: News18 Creative)
Ballot box | Sealed box with a slit in the lid, into which voters place their ballot papers. (Image: News18 Creative)
Candidate | Someone putting themselves up for election. (Image: News18 Creative)
Canvassing | When active supporters of a party try to drum up support for their own candidates. (Image: News18 Creative)
Constituency | The geographical unit which elects a single MP. (Image: News18 Creative)
Deposit | A sum paid by candidates or their parties to be allowed to stand. (Image: News18 Creative)
Election expenses | Candidates are only allowed to spend a limited amount of money on their individual campaign. (Image: News18 Creative)
Electoral register | A list of all those in a constituency entitled to vote. Also known as electoral roll. (Image: News18 Creative)
Exit poll | A poll carried out by researchers asking people how they have voted just after they have left the polling station on election day. (Image: News18 Creative)
Franchise | The right to vote; it is available to those over 18 and on the electoral register. (Image: News18 Creative)
Landslide | The name given to an election which one party wins by a very large margin. (Image: News18 Creative)
Manifesto | A public declaration of a party’s ideas and policies, usually printed during the campaign. (Image: News18 Creative)
Opposition | The largest party not in government. (Image: News18 Creative)
Poll | Another term for vote or election. (Image: News18 Creative)
Polling day | The day voting happens; also known as Election Day. (Image: News18 Creative)
Polling booth | Place where people go to cast their votes. (Image: News18 Creative)
Presiding officer | The person responsible for ensuring the conduct of the ballot in polling stations. (Image: News18 Creative)
Psephology | The study of voting and voting patterns. (Image: News18 Creative)
Returning officer | The official in charge of elections in each of the constituencies. (Image: News18 Creative)
Safe seat | A constituency in which the holding party has a big lead to defend. (Image: News18 Creative)
Swing | The transfer of votes from one party to another. (Image: News18 Creative)
Turnout | The number or percentage of people eligible to vote in a constituency who actually turn out to vote. (Image: News18 Creative)