Election

An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the executive and judiciary, and for regional and local government. This process is also used in many other private and business organizations, from clubs to voluntary associations and corporations.

The universal use of elections as a tool for selecting representatives in modern democracies is in contrast with the practice in the democratic archetype, ancient Athens. As the Elections were considered an oligarchic institution and most political offices were filled using sortition, also known as allotment, by which officeholders were chosen by lot.

Electoral reform describes the process of introducing fair electoral systems where they are not in place, or improving the fairness or effectiveness of existing systems. Psephology is the study of results and other statistics relating to elections (especially with a view to predicting future results).

To elect means "to choose or make a decision" and so sometimes other forms of ballot such as referendums are referred to as elections, especially in the United States.

Part of the Politics series
Elections
  • Allotment (sortition)
  • By-election
  • Electoral fraud
  • Show election
  • Fixed-term election
  • General election
  • Midterm election
  • Primary election
    • Open vs. closed
    • Nonpartisan blanket
  • Two-round (runoff)
  • Direct vs. Indirect
  • Local election
  • Referendum
  • Recall election
  • Criticisms of electoralism
Terminology
  • Anonymous elector
  • Apportionment
  • Boundary delimitation (redistricting)
  • Crossover voting
  • Gerrymandering
  • Election silence
  • Majority-minority districts
  • Nesting
  • Secret ballot
  • Suffrage
Subseries
  • Political party
  • Voting
  • Voting systems
Lists
  • Elections by country
  • Most recent elections by country
  • Supranational electoral calendar
  • National electoral calendar
  • Local electoral calendar
Politics portal

Read more about Election:  History

Famous quotes containing the word election:

    In every election in American history both parties have their clichés. The party that has the clichés that ring true wins.
    Newt Gingrich (b. 1943)

    Well, I am chiefly interested in the renomination, so don’t get disconsolate over that. If we lost the election I shall feel that the party is rejected, whereas if I fail to secure the renomination it will be a personal defeat.
    William Howard Taft (1857–1930)

    Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few.
    George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)