elector

noun

elec·​tor i-ˈlek-tər 

-ˌtȯr

plural electors

1

: a person qualified to vote in an election

2

: a person appointed by a state in the U.S. to vote for president and vice president in the electoral college

When Americans cast their ballots, they are actually voting for a slate of electors appointed by their state's political parties who are pledged to support that party's candidate.

—Allyson Waller

3

: any of the German princes entitled to take part in choosing the Holy Roman Emperor

Examples of elector in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Each certificate contains the slate of electors for each presidential candidate, along with the number of votes received by each candidate; normally, this is the popular vote. —Mabinty Quarshie, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 10 Dec. 2024

However, the race won't be determined by who has the most votes, but by the Electoral College, a process through which Americans elect their president indirectly through state electors. —Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 6 Nov. 2024

Other provisions pin down how states designate electors, in order to eliminate the possibility of fakes crashing the Electoral College. —The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024

Rather, the specific and more recent statute overrides the more general one, so the recount request would have to come from the presidential elector. —Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing elector

• faithless elector

Kids Definition

elector

noun

elec·​tor i-ˈlek-tər 

-ˌtȯ(ə)r

1

: one qualified to vote in an election

2

: a person appointed by a state in the U.S. to vote for president and vice president in the electoral college

Legal Definition

elector

noun

elec·​tor

1

: a person who is qualified to vote

2

: a member of the electoral college in the U.S.