I should have written this last week but have been very busy “hasta el copete de trabajo” finishing two books on Cuba (Cuban Spanish and a guidebook), one on Panama (Spanish), one on Mexican Spanish and my real estate book. “Más vale tarde que nunca” (Better late than never)…Nunca es tarde si la dicha es buena (means more or less the same thing).
Acudir a las urnas – to go to the polls
Admitir su derrota – to concede an election. Two other popular sayings that are similar “Darse por vencido” (togive up) or “Tirar la toalla” (to throw in the towel)
Apolítico/a – apolitical
Candidatura – candidacy
Candidato/a la presidencia – presidential candidate
Candidatos – candidates
Colegio electoral – electoral college
Compañero/a de fórmula – running mate
Congrecista – congressman
Conteo – the counting of votes
Democracia – democracy
Demócrata – democrat
Derrota –defeat
Destitución – impeachment
Destituir or deponer– to impeach
Elección – election
Elección presidencial – presidential election
Elección primaria –primary election
Elegir – to elect
Empadronamiento – registering to vote
Empadronarse – to register to vote
Encuesta or sondeo – opinion poll
Ganar la elección – to win the election
Ganar por un pequeño margen – to win by a small margin
Independiente – independent
Libertario – libertarian
Papeleta – ballot
Partido – party
Perder la elección – to lose the election
Política – politics
Postularse – to run for an office
Presidente electo – elected president
Presidente saliente – outgoing president
Recuento – recount
Republicano – republican
Retirarse de la elección – withdraw or drop out from the election (primary election)
Senador – senator
Taza or índice de popularidad – popularity rating
Urnas – polls or ballot box
Vice presidente/a – vice president
Victoria abrumadora – an overwhelming victory
Votante – voter
Votar – to vote
Votar en ausencia – to vote as an absentee
Votos – votes
Expression of the week:
- Solamente boto la basura. Is what what some people answer in jest when asked if they vote. If you can figure out this humor your Spanish is improving.
- Ganar por un pelo de rana or ganar por un pelillo – to barely win. The former means to win by a frog’s hair. Since frog’s don’t have hair, it means to just get by.
- Ganar dejando pelos en el alambre – also means to scrape or squeak by
