ESL Podcast 733 - Voting in an Election
polling place - a building (often a school or library) where people can mark a piece of paper or touch a computer screen to vote in elections
To vote, we'll need to go the polling place, which is at the public library this year.
to vote - for many people to indicate who should have a government job or whether or not a particular law should be created
This week, the Senate is going to vote on the new healthcare law.
absentee ballot - a way of voting by mail, so that the voters marks his or her choices on a piece of paper and then mails it to the government office where the votes are counted
Americans living overseas have to vote by absentee ballot.
in my own time - when one wants to do something; when something is convenient and fits with one's schedule
When do you think you'll finish your novel?
Don't worry. I'll finish it in my own time.
candidate - a person who wants to be elected by voters for a particular government job
How many people have expressed an interest in being a candidate for governor?
race - election; a competition between two or more people who want to be elected by voters for a particular government job
So far, Melanie seems to be winning the race, but everything could change in the next few weeks before the election.
bozo - clown; an unintelligent, incompetent person who is not able to do his or her job well and who does not meet one's expectations
Is Janice really going to marry that bozo? She could do so much better.
write-in candidate - a name that is written down by a voter when he or she does not want to vote for the people who are listed for a particular government job
Sometimes people put down "Mickey Mouse" or "Donald Duck" as a write-in candidate when they don't think the elections are important.
a snowball's chance in hell - something that is impossible or very unlikely and will not happen; something that cannot succeed
We have a snowball's chance in hell the client will want to do business with us again after what happened last week.
election - the process through which people vote for who should have a government job or whether or not a particular law should be created
When will the next presidential election be?
conscience - an internal feeling of right or wrong, especially about whether one's own actions are good or bad
Shane is always very honest, because his conscience won't let him tell lies.
to not be able to bring (oneself) - to not be able to force oneself to do something that one should or must do, usually because one thinks it is wrong
She looks so happy. I can't bring myself to tell her the bad news. Will you do it for me?
Election Day - the day when people vote on who should have a government job or whether or not a particular law should be created
On Election Day, some employers let their workers take some time off work to go and vote.
to read up on - to learn about something by reading information about it, especially printed materials like brochures
Ali bought a travel guide to read up on Chicago before his trip.
ballot measure - a proposal for a new law or regulation that asks people to vote yes or no in an election
If this ballot measure passes, the minimum amount of prison time for theft will increase to five years.
to not be able to stand - to not be able to tolerate something; to think that something is unacceptable
Larry can't stand hot weather, so he moved to Alaska.
to be in the company of - to be in the presence of; to spend time with someone; to be in the same place as someone else
If you don't like to be in the company of drunken people, why do you go to bars?