Find the winning party, and how many votes it received (a ballot box is provided for your convenience.) There is one superfluous word per clue. The initials of these words, read in order, provide further help. All answers are in Merriam-Webster's Tenth Collegiate Dictionary, one is capitalized.
Final breakdown of votes: ________________
Winning party: ___________________
Across
| 1. | Hopeless runs, before round of electioneering --it's a way to bring light in |
| 6. | Catch a licensed veterinarian holding a cup |
| 10. | Elder member of college is eldest reader |
| 11. | Remove uniform near home |
| 12. | You sort of can have sex in Internet site |
| 14. | "Very much so," I answer heartlessly |
| 15. | Uncle never returns in large and Southern continent |
| 16. | Decisive move: reduce the amount allotted |
| 18. | Group of radical college kids without support nags establishment |
| 19. | Eye parts of maize units, without real plan |
| 20. | Five enemies yanked flowing beard |
| 25. | Terrible fear, then silence (not again!) |
| 30. | Court day not a disaster for station wagon |
| 31. | Weave anecdote into erotic ballet piece (two words) |
| 32. | Possessing a terminal, a boy working Netscape does a backup |
| 34. | Spies infiltrated (also disrupted) unfriendly terrorists |
| 35. | Victor, please realign leg when taking wrong turn |
| 36. | Note: set order is reversed --put on weight first (two words) |
| 37. | To change the traditional format, translate tersely |
| 38. | Competitor sent extremist rants, with no beginning and no end |
Down
| 1. | Feelers from desperate people who don't want you to listen to certain things on the radio |
| 2. | Prevent diabolical rumor of regret and scorn (two words) |
| 3. | Courage is never, ever, wasted |
| 4. | Clue "cod" incorrectly, to hide meaning |
| 5. | Dancing reel in mist, overexerting limb we don't have |
| 6. | Cold (then hot) verbal commentary, involving many voices |
| 7. | Terribly bad sign: belly rash |
| 8. | Destroy alien saucer before an interruption |
| 9. | Hates trouble, removes challenges? |
| 13. | Net no inchworms in grass |
| 16. | Turns nonsense around to finish conversation |
| 17. | Heard idealist almost knee-deep in poverty |
| 20. | Old age follows victory in no time |
| 21. | Teenager in love roams aimlessly around old university |
| 22. | Powerful family heard to have hearty meal and wine |
| 23. | Fencing events end in knockout |
| 24. | Worked hard at removing weeds after threshing |
| 26. | Unusually sweet, loving insect |
| 27. | Stop now! No one makes lace upside-down |
| 28. | Fool revealing disastrous flaw in overnight success (hyphenated) |
| 29. | Pilot, having returned last month, fakes consent |
| 33. | Met's performance: fielding at first, overlooks pitch; each runner advances |