1. The body of people entitled to vote in an election. This is the most common definition. For example, "The electorate in this district is largely conservative."
2. The process of electing someone to office. This definition is less common. For example, "The electorate is always a messy process."
In essence, the word "electorate" focuses on the collective group of people who have the right to vote and who participate in the democratic process of choosing representatives.