direct election
Citizens choose directly
Direct election is a voting system where citizens cast ballots directly for candidates or officeholders, rather than choosing intermediaries who then make the selection.
U.S. senators have been chosen by direct election since 1913; the president is still technically chosen by electors.
Advocates pushed for direct election of the mayor.
Voting document
- polling stationElection day venue
- voter turnoutShare of eligible citizens voting
- registrationFormal recording of participation
- popular voteTotal of citizen votes
first-past-the-post · proportional representation · plurality · secret ballot · precinct · voting booth · absentee ballot · early voting
Person seeking selection
- constituencyElectoral district's voters
- nomineeOne proposed for position
- incumbentCurrent position holder
- challengerOne competing against incumbent
constituent · legislator · senator · representative · governor · mayor · president · MP
Ballot-casting citizen
- candidacyPursuit of office
- nominationFormal candidate selection
- eligibilityState of meeting criteria
- enfranchisementGranting citizenship rights
disenfranchisement · proxy vote · mobilization · get-out-the-vote · civic duty · political engagement · voter apathy · compulsory voting
Populace holds ultimate authority
- suffrageRight to cast ballots
- franchiseLicensed business operation
- majoritarianismRule by greatest number
- democratizationTransition toward popular rule
enfranchisement · self-determination · civic engagement · grassroots · autonomy · self-rule · constitutionalism · republicanism
Quality of being accessible
- disclosureAct of revealing information
- sunshine lawsLegislation mandating government transparency
- public recordsOfficially filed, publicly accessible documents
- freedom of informationPublic access to state records
observer · watchdog · audit · ballot counting · impartiality · fairness · anti-fraud · certified results
Supervision or inadvertent omission
- answerabilityObligation to explain oneself
- responsivenessReadiness to react
- public scrutinyWidespread critical attention
- term limitsMandatory end to incumbency
performance review · reward · approval rating · confidence vote · public trust · legitimacy
ballot
Voting document
- polling stationElection day venue
- voter turnoutShare of eligible citizens voting
- registrationFormal recording of participation
popular vote · first-past-the-post · proportional representation · plurality · secret ballot · precinct · voting booth · absentee ballot · early voting · mail-in ballot
candidate
Person seeking selection
- constituencyElectoral district's voters
- nomineeOne proposed for position
- incumbentCurrent position holder
challenger · constituent · legislator · senator · representative · governor · mayor · president · MP · delegate
voter
Ballot-casting citizen
- candidacyPursuit of office
- nominationFormal candidate selection
- eligibilityState of meeting criteria
enfranchisement · disenfranchisement · proxy vote · mobilization · get-out-the-vote · civic duty · political engagement · voter apathy · compulsory voting · campaigning
popular sovereignty
Populace holds ultimate authority
- suffrageRight to cast ballots
- franchiseLicensed business operation
- majoritarianismRule by greatest number
democratization · enfranchisement · self-determination · civic engagement · grassroots · autonomy · self-rule · constitutionalism · republicanism · civil rights
openness
Quality of being accessible
- disclosureAct of revealing information
- sunshine lawsLegislation mandating government transparency
- public recordsOfficially filed, publicly accessible documents
freedom of information · observer · watchdog · audit · ballot counting · impartiality · fairness · anti-fraud · certified results
oversight
Supervision or inadvertent omission
- answerabilityObligation to explain oneself
- responsivenessReadiness to react
- public scrutinyWidespread critical attention
term limits · performance review · reward · approval rating · confidence vote · public trust · legitimacy
- electionsballot, ballots, voter registration, candidates, polls
- Progressive EraTheodore Roosevelt, progressivism, Woodrow Wilson, Teddy Roosevelt, trust busting
- presidencyOval Office, president, Washington, executive branch, veto
direct electionappointment
Scheduled time for something
hereditary succession · nomination · judicial appointment · military coup · coronation
direct, election, directly, directness, director, directory, direction, directional, indirect