How votes turn into seats, and what is lost on the way.
Practise this list
From these 35 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
The nineteenth entry is voto nulo, and the rendering a reader reaches for first is the one to put down. « A null vote » is not English; « void » belongs to contracts and « invalid » to tickets and to arguments. Britain names the thing after what happened to the paper rather than after its legal standing. The everyday word is « a spoilt ballot »; the returning officer’s word, the one printed in the declaration, is « rejected ballot papers », listed with a reason beside each figure — voting for too many candidates, writing something that would identify the voter, handing in a blank sheet. Two things follow from that. The participle is a British one: we write « spoilt » where American practice has « spoiled », and the same pair runs through « learnt », « burnt » and « dreamt ». And the English phrase reaches further than voto nulo does, because « to spoil your ballot » is something a voter chooses to do — turning up and refusing everybody on the list — so a British report counting « spoilt ballots » may be counting protest as much as clumsiness.
The words
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Phrase (29)
círculo eleitoralthe constituencyPhraseC2
O país está dividido em círculos eleitorais de tamanho desigual.The country is divided into constituencies of unequal size.
caderno eleitoralthe electoral register at the polling stationPhraseC2
O nome tem de constar do caderno eleitoral.The name has to appear on the electoral register.
capacidade eleitoral passivaeligibility to stand for electionPhraseC2
A capacidade eleitoral passiva tem mais requisitos.Eligibility to stand for election carries more conditions.
boletim de votothe ballot paperPhraseC2
O boletim de voto é dobrado antes de entrar na urna.The ballot paper is folded before it goes into the box.
assembleia de votothe polling stationPhraseC2
A assembleia de voto abre de manhã cedo.The polling station opens early in the morning.
presidente da mesa de votothe presiding officerPhraseC2
O presidente da mesa de voto assina a ata.The presiding officer signs the record.
limiar eleitoralthe electoral thresholdPhraseC2
O limiar eleitoral deixa os partidos pequenos de fora.The electoral threshold leaves the small parties out.
sistema proporcional personalizadomixed-member proportional representationPhraseC2
O sistema proporcional personalizado junta o círculo e a lista.Mixed-member proportional representation joins the constituency to the list.
sistema maioritáriothe majority systemPhraseC2
No sistema maioritário ganha quem tiver mais votos no círculo.Under the majority system the candidate with the most votes in the constituency wins.
mandato de listathe list seatPhraseC2
O mandato de lista depende da ordem dos nomes.The list seat depends on the order of the names.
mandato uninominalthe constituency seatPhraseC2
O mandato uninominal pertence a quem ganha o círculo.The constituency seat belongs to whoever wins the constituency.
mandato excedentáriothe overhang seatPhraseC2
O mandato excedentário aumenta o tamanho do parlamento.The overhang seat makes parliament larger.
comissão de delimitação dos círculosthe boundary commissionPhraseC2
A comissão de delimitação dos círculos revê o mapa.The boundary commission is going over the map again.
voto por correspondênciathe postal votePhraseC2
O voto por correspondência tem de chegar a tempo.The postal vote has to arrive in time.
voto secretothe secret ballotPhraseC2
O voto secreto protege quem teme represálias.The secret ballot protects anyone who fears reprisals.
voto nulothe spoilt ballotPhraseC2
Um boletim rasurado conta como voto nulo.A ballot paper written over counts as a spoilt ballot.
delegado de listathe polling agent of a partyPhraseC2
Cada delegado de lista acompanha a contagem.The polling agent of each party watches the count.
financiamento da campanhacampaign financePhraseC2
O financiamento da campanha é publicado no fim.Campaign finance is published at the end.
lista partidáriathe party listPhraseC2
A lista partidária foi entregue dentro do prazo.The party list was handed in within the deadline.
vaga no parlamentothe vacant seatPhraseC2
A vaga no parlamento é ocupada pelo nome seguinte da lista.The vacant seat is taken by the next name on the list.
fraude eleitoralelectoral fraudPhraseC2
A fraude eleitoral anula a votação.Electoral fraud annuls the vote.
voto obrigatóriocompulsory votingPhraseC2
Há países com voto obrigatório e coima para quem falta.There are countries with compulsory voting and a fine for those who stay away.
período da legislaturathe parliamentary termPhraseC2
O período da legislatura acaba mais cedo se houver dissolução.The parliamentary term ends sooner if there is a dissolution.
apuramento dos resultadosthe declaration of the resultPhraseC2
O apuramento dos resultados demorou toda a noite.The declaration of the result took all night.
impugnação da eleiçãothe election petitionPhraseC2
A impugnação da eleição foi apresentada por um partido.The election petition was brought by one party.
igualdade do votoequality of the votePhraseC2
A igualdade do voto exige círculos de tamanho parecido.Equality of the vote calls for constituencies of similar size.
sufrágio universaluniversal suffragePhraseC2
O sufrágio universal chegou tarde a muitos países.Universal suffrage came late to many countries.
idade para votarthe voting agePhraseC2
A idade para votar baixou em algumas regiões.The voting age was lowered in some regions.
magnitude do círculothe district magnitudePhraseC2
A magnitude do círculo decide quantos nomes entram.The district magnitude decides how many names get in.
