Types of Elections

In most nations, political party leaders select candidates for office in a general election. The United States is one of the few nations to hold primary elections prior to the general election campaign in which voters select the party's candidates for office.

Some states also provide for referendum voting, a process that allows citizens to vote directly on proposed laws. Although it involves voting, the referendum is not an election. The election is an institution of representative government, while the referendum is an institution of direct democracy.