An election is a process by which voters choose representatives to represent them in public office. In modern elections, the majority of voters choose one candidate over all others. Elections have become part of the normal democratic process in most countries. They can also occur for other types of offices, such as judges or local government officials. Many people and organizations attempt to influence elections by supporting candidates, by voting themselves, and by using political forecasting methods.
Elections are held for government officials at the federal, state, and local levels. At the national level, the president is elected indirectly through the Electoral College by electors in each state who promise to vote for the presidential candidates their states have chosen. All other federal offices are directly elected by the people. Most state legislatures and governors are elected by the people, as well as various officials at local level, such as mayors and council members, school board members, and county commissioners.
Historically, the emergence of electoral democracy has been a gradual process, with elections occurring in varying degrees of competitiveness and despite various limitations (such as the use of weighted votes to keep certain social groups out of the electorate). The ideal of one person, one vote was not fully achieved until the post-World War II period, when competitive elections were restored by many governments. In addition, many elections take place over a series of dates rather than all at once, such as in the US presidential primaries or European Parliament elections (due to differing election laws in member nations). This is known as rolling elections.