Slate (elections)

A slate is a group of candidates that run in multi-seat or multi-position elections on a common platform.

The common platform may be because the candidates are all members of a political party, have the same or similar policies, or some other reason.

The United States presidential elections use an electoral college to determine the winner and the electors are chosen by popular vote in each state. In most states, voters choose a slate of electors who support one of the candidates, although this may not be obvious to the voter at the time.

In states whose state legislatures are elected from multi-member districts, it is common for groups of candidates to form slates in primary and general elections. Elections to the Maryland General Assembly are a prime example, with most districts electing one member of the Maryland Senate and three members of the Maryland House of Delegates. Candidates for senator and delegate (usually incumbents) often join together prior to the primary election, registering their slates as separate campaign committees to enable them to raise funds separately. They are commonly called "Leadership Teams".

Most student unions in the United Kingdom have the places on their executive committee elected simultaneously, but separately. Groups of candidates may run together so as each candidate can campaign for themselves and the other members on the slate at the same time, thereby increasing the election material and manpower available to the group. Slates can be political (e.g. Stop the War) or non-political. However some students' unions ban the use of slates in their elections.

Unusual among western democracies, Canada's major federal and provincial political parties do not have municipal wings. While some of Canada's biggest cities, such as Montreal and Vancouver, have permanent political parties that have been a "slate". For members of a slate, this usually means not running against each other for the same office, purchasing advertising materials together and possibly agreeing to vote together on some issues if elected. Slates differ from political parties in that they are usually temporary arrangements that last for the election campaign only, and they have no annual meetings, headquarters or volunteers.

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