In this article you will learn about the Meaning of Election in Political Science.
Meaning of Election
In contemporary times when Democracy functions as a Representative Democracy, elections constitute a fundamental and basic process of politics. People elect their representatives who represent them in the process of government of state.
All adult citizens of a democratic state act as voters, become candidates for seeking public offices, and act as political actors or leaders. They act as active partners of the democratic political process. Participation in the political system, particularly in the election system is the first and foremost duty of every citizen of a democratic state. This makes it essential for all the people, more particularly for the students of politics to know the meaning, importance and modes of election and voting.
Election is the process by which the electors or voters select their representatives by casting their votes freely in favour of the candidates of their choice. “Election can be defined as a system of selection of the representatives of the people through the casting of votes by the voters.”
In each democratic state elections are held after regular intervals. Each legislature and each elected office has a fixed tenure. After completion of a tenure, a new legislature is elected by the people. When it is dissolved before the expiry of its full term and fresh elections are held for electing a new legislature the elections is popularly called a mid term poll.
When an election for electing one representative or some representatives are specially held for filling some vacancies which had occurred due to the death or resignation or removal of some representatives, it is called a Bye-Election.
Collective Identify of all Voters of the State : The Electorate
In every state not all the people but all adults enjoy the right to vote. All the voters together constitute the electorate. They participate in the elections held for electing the representatives of the people. The right to vote,(the right to franchise or suffrage) is available only to persons who have attained a minimum fixed age and who satisfy some other qualifications which are prescribed by law. The electorate i.e. the body of all the people who have the right to vote, elects the representatives of the people. Since every citizen of the state usually becomes a voter after attaining a particular age (Adulthood), the electorate is considered eligible to elect the representatives of all the people.
In simple words we can record that electorate is the collective name of all the people who enjoy the right to vote/suffrage in the state. It includes both the men and women, even transgender who are adults enjoy the right to vote in elections. Further, the voters above a particular age usually above 21 or 25 years of age are eligible to contest elections and become the representatives of the people after winning an election.
This article on Meaning of Election in Political Science is contributed by Dipshikha Anand. If you like LawStudyPoint.com do follow us on our Twitter handle.