Indirect election is a process in which voters in an election do not actually choose between candidates for an office but rather elect persons who will then make the choice. This process is used in many union elections and sometimes in professional, civic, and fraternal organizations, as well as in the election for President of the United States. Although highly controversial at various points in history, representative democracy (and electoral systems in general) have become the modern civics global-standard. ... Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an election. ... A general election is an election in which all members of a given political body are up for election. ... Rules for, and experience with, local elections vary widely across jurisdictions. ... A by-election or bye-election is a special election held to fill a political office when the incumbent has died or resigned. ... A Fixed-term election is an election that occurs on a set date, and cannot be changed by the incumbent politician. ... The Polling by William Hogarth (1755); Before the secret ballot was introduced voter intimidation was commonplace Wikisource has original text related to this article: A History of the Australian Ballot System in the United States The secret ballot is a voting method in which a voters choices are confidential. ... A show election or a sham election is an election that is held purely for show, that is, without any significant political purpose. ... It has been suggested that Pluralistic perspective be merged into this article or section. ... Elections by country gives information on elections. ... This electoral calendar lists the national/federal direct elections in the countries listed in the list of countries. ... Ballots of the Argentine plebiscite of 1984 on the border treaty with Chile A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, originally a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... The process known as redistricting in the United States and redistribution in many Commonwealth countries is the changing of political borders (in many countries, specifically the electoral district/constituency boundaries) usually in response to periodic census results. ... Gerrymandering is a controversial form of redistricting in which electoral district or constituency boundaries are manipulated for an electoral advantage. ... A political party is an organization that seeks to attain political power within a government, usually by participating in electoral campaigns. ... An election is a decision making process where people choose people to hold official offices. ... A Trade Union (Labour union) ... is a continuous association of wage-earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment. ... The presidential seal was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ...

In the United States, the President is elected indirectly. Voters elect a slate of candidates for the Electoral College, which in turn elects the President. A similar process has been used in the past in emerging democracies, i.e., South Korea and the Republic of the Philippines, but it was soon dismantled in favor of direct election. Only in the United States has a process of indirect presidential election persisted for over two centuries. The Senate was elected by the legislatures of the states until 1913, when the Seventeenth Amendment instituted direct elections. An electoral college is a set of electors who are empowered as a deliberative body to elect a candidate to a particular office. ... Direct election is a term describing a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the person, persons or political party that they desire to see elected. ... Seal of the U.S. Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral United States Congress, the other being the House of Representatives. ... The Seventeenth Amendment may refer to the: Seventeenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland - relating to cabinet confidentiality Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan - granting more power to the holder of the office of the President Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution - providing for the direct election of...

In France, election to the upper house of Parliament, the Sénat, is indirect, the electors (called "grand électeurs") being local elected representatives. The Senate amphitheater in the Luxembourg Palace The Senate (in French :le Sénat) is the upper house of the Parliament of France. ...

Prime Ministers are elected indirectly in parliamentary systems. While members of the parliamentary body are elected directly, it is their votes, usually cast for their party leader, which determine who becomes Prime Minister. However, a Prime Minister is more a representative of the parliament, a primus inter pares (first among equals), who has just one vote, just like any other member of parliament, and therefore does not have the power that presidents have. Such a system tends to make all elections more about national issues than is generally the case in the U.S., where it is very commonplace for some districts routinely to vote, often by a large majority, for a Presidential candidate from one party and a member of Congress from the other. Then again, a parliamentary system usually also has separate elections for lower governments (such as city or province). So the same system may be used at different independent levels, possibly even with different parties. A prime minister is the most senior minister of a cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in U.S. English), is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. ... Traditional hat toss celebration at a graduation ceremony at the United States Naval Academy A party is a social gathering intended primarily for celebration and recreation. ... A prime minister is the most senior minister of a cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... First among equals is a phrase which indicates that a person is the most senior of a group of people sharing the same rank or office. ... Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States (1861-1865) The majority of this article is about heads of states. ... A congress is a gathering of people, especially a gathering for a political purpose. ...

See also

• List of democracy and elections-related topics

Politics is the process and method of gaining or maintaining support for public or common action: the conduct of decision-making for groups. ...

External links

• A handbook of electoral system Design from International IDEA
• Electoral Design Reference from the ACE Project
• "Electoral College" by William C. Kimberling, Deputy Director of the FEC Office of Election Administration