direct elections
Citizens choose representatives
Direct elections are votes in which citizens choose officials themselves, rather than through intermediaries like electoral colleges or legislative bodies.
Most democratic elections are direct: voters select mayors, governors, and legislators by casting ballots counted to determine winners.
The U.S. presidential election, filtered through the Electoral College, is notably indirect.
Senators were chosen by state legislatures until direct elections began in 1913.
Entitlement to elect officials
- universal suffrageAll adults may vote
- franchiseLicensed business operation
- disenfranchisementRemoval of voting rights
- voter eligibilityConditions for franchise participation
age of majority · residency requirement · civil rights · poll tax · literacy test · voter suppression · women's suffrage · minority rights
Voting forms
- polling stationElection day venue
- voter turnoutShare of eligible citizens voting
- first-past-the-postMost votes wins
- proportional representationSeats allocated by vote share
secret ballot · plurality · constituency · precinct · absentee voting · vote counting · runoff · tally
Organized effort toward goal
- candidatesThose seeking selection
- civic dutyObligation owed to community
- nominationFormal candidate selection
- registrationFormal recording of participation
debate · platform · endorsement · grassroots · activism · caucus · primary · referendum
One who acts for another
- governmentAuthority over a state
- republicState with elected leaders
- parliamentNational legislative assembly
- legislatureLawmaking governmental branch
senate · sovereignty · constitution · federal · civic · autonomy · citizenship · pluralism
Supervision or inadvertent omission
- answerabilityObligation to explain oneself
- governanceHow authority is exercised
- scrutinyClose, careful examination
- checks and balancesConstitutional power-limiting framework
monitoring · stewardship · recall · term limits · mandate · incumbency · public trust
Quality of being accessible
- fairnessJust and equal treatment
- disclosureAct of revealing information
- sunshine lawsLegislation mandating government transparency
- public recordsOfficially filed, publicly accessible documents
impartiality · audit · paper trail · poll watchers · credentialing · certified results · international observers
voting rights
Entitlement to elect officials
- universal suffrageAll adults may vote
- franchiseLicensed business operation
- disenfranchisementRemoval of voting rights
voter eligibility · age of majority · residency requirement · civil rights · poll tax · literacy test · voter suppression · women's suffrage · minority rights · equal protection
ballots
Voting forms
- polling stationElection day venue
- voter turnoutShare of eligible citizens voting
- first-past-the-postMost votes wins
proportional representation · secret ballot · plurality · constituency · precinct · absentee voting · vote counting · runoff · tally · recount
campaign
Organized effort toward goal
- candidatesThose seeking selection
- civic dutyObligation owed to community
- nominationFormal candidate selection
registration · debate · platform · endorsement · grassroots · activism · caucus · primary · referendum · canvassing
representative
One who acts for another
- governmentAuthority over a state
- republicState with elected leaders
- parliamentNational legislative assembly
legislature · senate · sovereignty · constitution · federal · civic · autonomy · citizenship · pluralism · decentralization
oversight
Supervision or inadvertent omission
- answerabilityObligation to explain oneself
- governanceHow authority is exercised
- scrutinyClose, careful examination
checks and balances · monitoring · stewardship · recall · term limits · mandate · incumbency · public trust
openness
Quality of being accessible
- fairnessJust and equal treatment
- disclosureAct of revealing information
- sunshine lawsLegislation mandating government transparency
public records · impartiality · audit · paper trail · poll watchers · credentialing · certified results · international observers
- EU ElectionsEuropean Parliament, MEP, MEPs, ballot, ballots
- French PoliticsNational Assembly, French politics, French president, deputy, senator
- electionsballot, ballots, voter registration, candidates, polls
- IndonesiaIndonesia, Java, Sumatra, Indonesian, Borneo
direct electionselectoral college
Intermediary voting delegation system
appointment · caucus system · delegation · judicial appointment · royal appointment
direct electionsappointment
Scheduled time for something
hereditary succession · royal succession · nomination · designation · co-optation
direct electionsbackroom deals
Secret unofficial negotiations
smoke-filled room · military coup · palace intrigue · disenfranchisement
direct, election, directly, direction, directional, director, directory, indirect, indirectly