What Is Incumbent? What Does GOP Stand For? And Other Election Terms Explained

It's Election Day 2022, and for those who don't follow politics closely, a lot of terms are being thrown around without much explanation.

These are some of the terms you might hear, and what they mean.

What Is 'Incumbent'?

This one is easy - an incumbent, in politics, is the person who already holds the office.

So if someone is running for re-election, they are the incumbent in their race.

(According to Merriam-Webster, the English use of the word dates to the 15th Century and first referred to someone who held a religious office.)

What Does GOP Stand For?

The Republican Party is sometimes referred to as the GOP without much explanation.

In this case, GOP is an acronym for "Grand Old Party." According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the use of that term dates to the 1870s, though the particulars are a bit hazy.

Who Won the Election?

See our results page here for the latest vote results from the 2022 election.

Did My Friends Vote?

Believe it or not, there's actually a way to find out who voted or not. While the people you vote for is private, the fact that you cast a ballot (or not) is a matter of public record.

Websites like "Did My Friend Vote" can help you pull those records and check whether they went to the polls or not.