Types of Elections and Voting Systems - JSS2 Civic education Lesson Note
- Types of Elections:
- General Elections: General elections are held at regular intervals to elect representatives to public offices, such as national parliaments or legislatures, local councils, and executive positions like the presidency or governorship.
- Primary Elections: Primary elections are internal party contests held to select candidates for general elections. Political parties use primary elections to determine their nominees for various positions.
- By-Elections: By-elections, also known as special elections or midterm elections, are held to fill vacant seats in legislatures or other elective offices between scheduled general elections.
- Plurality Voting: In plurality voting, voters choose one candidate, and the candidate with the most votes wins, even if they do not receive an absolute majority. This system is commonly used in single-member district elections.
- Proportional Representation: Proportional representation allocates seats in a legislative body based on the proportion of votes each political party receives in the election. It aims to ensure that parties are represented in proportion to their electoral support.
- Ranked-Choice Voting: Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed based on the voters' second choices until a winner emerges.