Snap Election

A snap election is an election called earlier than expected. Generally it refers to an election in a parliamentary system called when not required (either by law or convention), usually to capitalize on a unique electoral opportunity or to decide a pressing issue. It differs from a recall election in that it is initiated by politicians (usually the head of government or ruling party) rather than voters. Since the power to call snap elections usually lies with the incumbent, they frequently result in increased majorities for the party already in power having been called at an advantageous time; however, there have been cases of snap elections backfiring and resulting in an opposition party's winning or gaining power. Generally speaking, the Prime Minister under such systems does not have the legal power to call an election, but rather must request the election be called by the head of state. In most countries, the head of state always grants such a request by convention, but in some systems (for instance, the Weimar Republic in Germany 1920-1933) the head of state has been known to deny the Prime Minister's request.

In the Westminster parliamentary system a snap election is an early election called when the Prime Minister (or equivalent, as the Premier of a Canadian province or that of an Australian state) dissolves the legislature part way through a government's mandate.