Elector a German prince entitled to take part in the election of the Holy Roman Emperor. There were originally seven Electors, the Archbishops of Cologne, Mainz, and Trier, the Duke of Saxony, the Count Palatine of the Rhine, the Margrave of Brandenburg, and the King of Bohemia. Subsequently, electorates were created for Bavaria (1623–1778), Hanover (from 1708), and Hesse-Kassel (from 1803). The role officially terminated with the abolition of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806.
electoral college a body of electors chosen or appointed by a larger group, as, the princes who elected the Holy Roman Emperor, or (in the US) a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the President and Vice-President.

e·lec·tor / iˈlektər; -ˌtôr/ • n. a person who has the right to vote in an election. ∎  (in the U.S.) a member of the electoral college.DERIVATIVES: e·lec·tor·ship n.

ELECTOR

A voter who has fulfilled the qualifications imposed by law; a constituent; a selector of a public officer; a person who has the right to cast a ballot for the approval or rejection of a political proposal or question, such as the issuance of bonds by a state or municipality to finance public works projects.

A member of the electoral college—an association of voters elected by the populace of each state and the District of Columbia—which convenes every four years to select the president and vice president of the United States.