Voter Education Glossary
Understanding Louisville Metro Government & Policy
This comprehensive glossary explains 375 terms related to Louisville Metro government, policy, and civic engagement. Each term includes Louisville-specific context and explains why it matters to you as a voter.
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D
Diversion Program
An alternative to traditional prosecution that redirects low-level offenders (especially first-timers and juveniles) into treatment, counseling, or community service instead […]
Read Full Definition → Diversion Programs
Alternatives to jail for non-violent offenders (treatment, community service, monitoring). More effective than incarceration and much cheaper.
Read Full Definition → Don’t Have ID?
You can still vote by signing an affidavit stating you are the registered voter. —
Read Full Definition → Duty to Intervene
Legal requirement for police officers to stop fellow officers from using excessive force or violating civil rights. Creates peer accountability […]
Read Full Definition → E
Early Childhood Education
Educational programs for children from birth to age 5, including prekindergarten, Head Start, and childcare programs. High-quality early childhood education […]
Read Full Definition → Early Intervention System
A database tracking officer behavior—complaints, use of force, vehicle pursuits, etc.—to identify officers showing warning signs of problems before serious […]
Read Full Definition → Early Voting
The period before Election Day when registered voters can cast ballots in person at designated locations. In Kentucky, early voting […]
Read Full Definition → Early Warning System
A data-driven tool that tracks officer behavior patterns (use of force, complaints, missed trainings, etc.) to identify officers who may […]
Read Full Definition → Early Warning System (Police)
Data-driven system that identifies officers with patterns of complaints, use of force incidents, or other concerning behaviors before serious misconduct […]
Read Full Definition → Economic Development Incentive
Tax breaks, grants, or other financial benefits offered by government to attract businesses or development. Common types include: tax abatements, […]
Read Full Definition → Economic Impact Study
An analysis estimating how a proposed development (like a data center) will affect the local economy through job creation, tax […]
Read Full Definition → Education Attainment
The highest level of education individuals have completed, measured by census and surveys (less than high school, high school diploma, […]
Read Full Definition → Educational Benefits
Programs that help employees pay for college, job training, or professional development. Dave’s budget includes tuition assistance for employees pursuing […]
Read Full Definition → Election Certification
The official process where election results are verified, audited, and declared final by election officials. In Jefferson County, the County […]
Read Full Definition → Election Observer
An individual authorized to monitor polling places and vote counting to ensure proper election procedures and transparency. In Kentucky, political […]
Read Full Definition → Electrical Substation
A facility where voltage is transformed from high to low or vice versa, and where electrical connections are made. Large […]
Read Full Definition → Energy Burden
The percentage of household income spent on home energy costs (electricity, gas, fuel oil). Energy burden averages 3-4% for median-income […]
Read Full Definition → Energy Efficiency
Using less energy to perform the same task or produce the same result, typically through better technology, insulation, or practices. […]
Read Full Definition → Enterprise Zone
Designated area where businesses receive tax incentives and regulatory relief to encourage investment in economically distressed neighborhoods. Federal and state […]
Read Full Definition → Environmental Compliance
Adherence to federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations governing air quality, water quality, waste management, stormwater, and pollution. […]
Read Full Definition → Environmental Justice
Fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regarding environmental laws and policies. Addresses how environmental burdens (pollution, toxic sites) […]
Read Full Definition → Equal Pay Audit
Systematic review of compensation data to identify and correct gender-based pay disparities. Dave’s policy requires annual audits for Metro government […]
Read Full Definition → Equitable Development
Development that provides benefits to all residents, particularly low-income residents and communities of color, without causing displacement. Equitable development includes […]
Read Full Definition → Eviction Prevention
Programs and policies that help tenants avoid eviction through emergency rental assistance, legal aid, mediation, and tenant protections. Much cheaper […]
Read Full Definition → Evidence-Based Budgeting
Making spending decisions based on proven results from research and other cities’ experiences, not political promises or assumptions. Dave’s budget […]
Read Full Definition → Executive Branch
The Mayor and departments that implement laws and deliver services. The “doers” of government.
Read Full Definition → Expungement
The legal process of sealing or destroying criminal records so they don’t appear in background checks, helping people move on […]
Read Full Definition → F
Fair Chance Hiring
Employment practices that give people with criminal records fair opportunity for jobs by delaying background checks until after initial screening, […]
Read Full Definition → Fiber Optic Network
High-speed internet infrastructure using light pulses through glass cables to transmit data at speeds up to 100 times faster than […]
Read Full Definition → Fire Prevention Center
A community-based facility focused on fire safety education, smoke detector installation, home safety inspections, and fire prevention outreach—especially for seniors […]
Read Full Definition → Fire Prevention Centers
Community facilities focused on teaching fire safety, conducting free home inspections, installing smoke detectors, and preventing fires before they start. […]
Read Full Definition → Fiscal Year (FY)
Louisville’s budget year runs from July 1 to June 30. FY 2025-2026 means July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. […]
Read Full Definition → Flood Prevention
Infrastructure and planning strategies that reduce flooding risk to protect lives, property, and public safety. Approaches include stormwater management systems, […]
Read Full Definition → Focused Deterrence
A policing strategy that concentrates enforcement resources on the small number of individuals most likely to commit violence, while simultaneously […]
Read Full Definition → Food Desert
Areas where residents lack access to affordable, nutritious food—typically defined as living more than 1 mile from a supermarket in […]
Read Full Definition → Frequency (Transit)
How often transit arrives—the most important factor in ridership. High frequency = every 10-15 minutes or better, meaning riders don’t […]
Read Full Definition → G
Gender-Responsive Budgeting
Analyzing government budgets for differential impacts on women and men, ensuring equitable resource allocation. Part of Dave’s fiscal equity framework […]
Read Full Definition → General Election
The main election where voters choose between candidates from different parties (or independents) for public office. In Louisville, the mayoral […]
Read Full Definition → Gentrification
The transformation of low-income neighborhoods through influx of wealthier residents, businesses, and development, increasing property values and costs while displacing […]
Read Full Definition → Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Technology that captures, stores, analyzes, and displays geographically referenced data—essentially creating maps with layers of information. Government uses GIS for […]
Read Full Definition → Green Infrastructure
Nature-based systems that manage stormwater, reduce urban heat, improve air quality, and provide community benefits using vegetation, soil, and natural […]
Read Full Definition → Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Gases (primarily carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) released by human activities that trap heat in the atmosphere and cause […]
Read Full Definition → Greenway
Linear parks following creeks, rivers, or abandoned rail lines, providing walking/biking trails, recreation access, wildlife habitat, and green infrastructure managing […]
Read Full Definition → GRYD (Gang Reduction and Youth Development)
Los Angeles’s comprehensive public health approach to gang violence, combining community engagement, prevention programming for at-risk youth, intervention services for […]
Read Full Definition → H
Harm Reduction
A public health approach that meets people struggling with addiction where they are, providing services to reduce health risks and […]
Read Full Definition → Health Insurance Coverage
Having public or private health insurance that pays for medical care, preventing financial catastrophe from healthcare costs. The uninsured delay […]
Read Full Definition → Home Rule
Constitutional authority allowing local governments to pass laws on local matters without seeking permission from the state legislature for every […]
Read Full Definition → Hot Spot Policing
Data-driven law enforcement strategy concentrating resources on small geographic areas with disproportionately high crime rates. Typically 5-10% of locations generate […]
Read Full Definition → Housing First
Homelessness intervention providing permanent housing without preconditions (sobriety, treatment compliance, employment), then offering supportive services. Proven more effective and cheaper […]
Read Full Definition → Housing Trust Fund
Dedicated public fund for affordable housing development and preservation, capitalized through taxes, fees, or budget allocations. Provides grants and loans […]
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