representative democracy has operated since the 17th century. [1] Elections may fill offices in the legislature , sometimes in the executive and
judiciary , and for regional and local government. This process is also used in many other private and business organizations, from clubs to voluntary associations and corporations.[2]
The universal use of elections as a tool for selecting representatives in modern representative democracies is in contrast with the practice in the democratic archetype, ancient Athens, where the Elections were considered an oligarchic institution and most political offices were filled using
sortition , also known as allotment, by which officeholders were chosen by lot. [3]
Electoral reform describes the process of introducing fair electoral systems where they are not in place, or improving the fairness or effectiveness of existing systems. Psephology is the study of results and other statistics relating to elections (especially with a view to predicting future results).
To elect means "to choose or make a decision", and so sometimes other forms of ballot such as referendums are referred to as elections, especially in the United States.
