In politics, a concession is the act of a losing candidate publicly yielding to a winning candidate after an election, when the overall result of the vote has become clear. An election is a decision making process whereby people vote for preferred political candidates or parties to act as representatives in government. ...

Refusal to concede

Concession, per se, is entirely optional, and a candidate will sometimes to refuse to concede defeat despite the vote count being against them, especially if they suspect electoral fraud. In that case the candidate would likely demand a recount of the votes or other investigations into the alleged fraud. Sometimes concession may be denied not because of any specific fraud allegations, but simply because of ill will accumulated over the campaign. Electoral fraud is the deliberate intentional interference with the process of an election. ...

In unstable states, a losing political faction may choose to gain power through non-electoral means. It has been suggested that Revolutionary be merged into this article or section. ...

Timing of concession

If the vote is relatively close, it can be unclear when it is appropriate for a losing candidate to concede an election. On election night, pressures from a media looking for news to report, an opposition campaign anxious to declare victory, and one's own campaign unwilling to concede defeat if there is any hope of a last-minute turnaround all weigh on the decision of the losing candidate. Though a spoken concession does not necessarily deny a candidate office if there is a drastic reversal in the vote count, it does practically prevent demands for recount. It is exceedingly rare (and would be highly embarrassing) for a concession, once issued, to be retracted.

A well-known concession occurred during the 2004 Presidential Election, in which John Kerry yielded to incumbent president George W. Bush. The 2004 Presidential election may refer to: The Afghan presidential election The Algerian presidential election The Austrian presidential election The Dominican presidential election The Georgia presidential election The Icelandic presidential election The Irish presidential election The Macedonian presidential election The Panamanian presidential election The Philippine presidential election The Republic of... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American businessman and politician, was elected in 2000 as the 43rd President of the United States of America, re-elected in 2004, and is currently serving his second term in that office. ...

A losing candidate commonly offers a private concession directly to the winning candidate (usually by telephone) before any public announcement is made.

Concession speech

In the broadcast age, the concession speech of a candidate for high office reaches a wide audience, and is seen as the final swan song of a lost campaign. Out of courtesy, the winner of the campaign usually waits for a concession speech (if one is forthcoming) before delivering their own acceptance speech. A swan song is a reference to an ancient and false belief that the occasional Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) is completely mute during its lifespan, but may sing one heartbreakingly beautiful song just before it dies. ...

A losing candidate usually thanks their supporters for their valiant efforts, and points to the non-electoral successes of the campaign in building party strength and raising issues to attention that would not otherwise be in public discussion. It is also traditional, unless the campaign has been exceptionally bitter, to congratulate the winning candidate and wish them well in office, perhaps even offering a parting word of advice.