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WikiProject Political Parties
A general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are up for election. An election is a Decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold formal office Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions Sortition, also known as allotment, is an equal-chance method of selection by some form of lottery such as drawing coloured pebbles from a bag A by-election or bye-election (called special election in the United States) is an Election held to fill a political office that has become vacant Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an Election. A show election or a sham election is an Election that is held purely for show that is without any significant political purpose A Fixed-term election is an Election that occurs on a set date and cannot be changed by the incumbent politician A primary election ( nominating primary) also referred to simply as a primary, is an election in which voters in a Jurisdiction select candidates 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 Local Elections vary widely across Jurisdictions In Electoral systems that roughly follow the Westminster model, a terminology has evolved A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita Apportionment is the process of allocating political power among a set of principles (or defined constituencies In multiple-party democratic primary elections crossover voting refers to a technique used by voters in which ballots are cast for the party a voter is opposed to in order to elect Gerrymandering is a form of redistribution in which electoral district or Constituency boundaries are manipulated for electoral advantage Redistricting, a form of redistribution, is the process of changing of political Borders in the United States The secret ballot is a voting method in which a Voter 's choices are confidential Suffrage (from the Latin suffragium, meaning "voting tablet" and figuratively "right to vote" probably from suffrago "hough" and originally A political party is a Political organization that seeks to attain and maintain political power within Government, usually by participating in electoral A voting system allows voters to choose between options often in an Election where candidates are selected for public office. Elections by country gives information on Elections For each De jure and De facto sovereign state and dependent territory The list of election results by country gives information on Elections For each De jure and De facto sovereign state and An election is a Decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold formal office The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections. A by-election or bye-election (called special election in the United States) is an Election held to fill a political office that has become vacant Local Elections vary widely across Jurisdictions In Electoral systems that roughly follow the Westminster model, a terminology has evolved
The term originates in the United Kingdom general elections for the House of Commons. This is a list of United Kingdom general elections since the first in 1802 The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords
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In the United States of America
General election is also a term used in opposition to primary election. A primary election ( nominating primary) also referred to simply as a primary, is an election in which voters in a Jurisdiction select candidates In the United States, primary elections serve to narrow down a field of candidates, and general elections actually elect candidates to offices. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The general election is usually held on Election Day, the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years. Election Day in the United States is the day set by law for the selection of public officials by popular ballot
It meets the above definition of "general election" in that the entire United States House of Representatives is elected on Election Day, though not the entire United States Congress. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Prior to the 17th Amendment, members of the United States Senate were not directly elected by the people but rather by their state legislature. The Seventeenth Amendment ( Amendment XVII) of the United States Constitution was passed by the Senate on June 12 1911 and by the House on May 13 1912 The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Though Senators have been directly elected since then, only one-third of them are up for election on any given Election Day. The U.S. President is also chosen during a November general election that follows primaries. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by
In the United Kingdom
General elections in Britain refer to the election of Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons; these must be held within 5 years and 1 month of the last one, but are often held before that time as it is up to the parties in government when to call a general election. This is a list of United Kingdom general elections since the first in 1802 A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords The current Labour Party government have held general elections every four years since coming to power in May 1997 and thereafter in June 2001 and May 2005. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the May 2005 was the fifth month of that year It began on a Sunday and ended after 31 days on a Tuesday. Therefore another election is not legally obliged to occur until June 2010.
General elections in Britain traditionally take place on a Thursday; the last general election not on a Thursday was that of 1931. The UK general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday
The five year limit on the time of a Parliament can be varied by an Act of Parliament. This was done during both World Wars; the Parliament elected in December 1910 was prolonged to November 1918, and that elected in November 1935 lasted until June 1945. The United Kingdom general election of December 1910 was held from 3 to 19 December Results |} Total votes cast 20991488 All parties shown Conservatives include Ulster Unionists Seats won by the Independent Labour Party (ILP are The House of Lords has an absolute veto on any Bill to extend the life of a Parliament. The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords"
Canada
In Canada, general elections are held to elects Members of Parliament to the Canadian House of Commons, or members of legislatures of the provinces and territories of Canada. The House of Commons (Chambre des communes is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second largest country in total area.
General elections are generally held every four to five years in a majority situation. Minority government produce elections usually every 18-24 months.
Japan
External links
- International IDEA's Electoral Processes Program
- A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787-1825
Dictionary
general election
-noun
- An election, usually held at regular intervals, in which candidates are elected in all or most constituencies of a nation.