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.

• 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

• Anonymous elector
• Apportionment
• Boundary delimitation (redistricting)
• Crossover voting
• Gerrymandering
• Election silence
• Majority-minority districts
• Nesting
• Secret ballot
• Suffrage

• Political party
• Voting
• Voting systems

• Elections by country
• Election results by country
• Electoral calendar

Noun

election (plural elections)

1. A process of choosing a leader, members of parliament, councillors, or other representatives by popular vote.

   The parliamentary elections will be held in March.

2. The choice of a leader or representative by popular vote.

   The election of John Smith was due to his broad appeal.

3. Any conscious choice.

   His election to go to the fair was influenced by the prospect of seeing Mary there.

4. (theology) In Calvinism, God's predestination of saints including all of the elect.

• elect, elective, elector, electoral, electorate