What does the term at large mean in politics?

The term at large refers to the body of all the voters in a given state or country who are not eligible to vote because they are not registered or because they are not currently living in the jurisdiction. For example, a person who is not registered to vote in California would be at large in California.

What does the term at large mean in politics mean?

Running for Congress at large is different from running in a primary or a general election in a congressional district. A primary is an earlier election held by a party to choose the party’s nominees for the general election. A general election is held in November to determine who will represent a particular party in Congress.

What does the phrase at large mean in politics?

The phrase at large refers to the basic political system, as it is in its purest form. It’s the system that all modern democracies rest on. In an at large election, all electors are given a ballot. They can choose any candidate they wish. The votes are then added up to determine who wins.

What does the term at large mean in a political debate?

The term at large, in its most simplistic form, refers to a candidate running for office without party affiliation. In the United States, the term is used in the context of primary elections, when voters in each state cast their ballots to determine who will represent each party in the general election. If more of the primary voters choose one of the primary ballot candidates, they will have a party affiliation based upon the party of the primary winner.

What does the term at large mean in politics today?

A political candidate who is running for office as an independent is said to be running at large. They’re not running as a member of a specific party. At large also refers to the way a state's voters can vote for all the candidates for a specific office.