Election is an integral mechanism in a democratic system. It is a process of decision making whereby the citizens of a nation chooses their representatives to the public offices in the legislature, executive and judiciary. Elections are also held in private business organizations, such as, corporations and voluntary organizations. In a democratic nation, the consent of the citizens is the only legitimate source of power for the government which is said to be ‘of the people, by the people and for the people’. This consent is translated into government authority through election and thus election is considered the symbol of democracy. In different nations, process of election is governed by the constitutional provisions and legislations relating to eligibility of voters, eligibility of candidates. Though there are some common types of election, the electoral systems are different in different countries of the world. In United States, the subject of election is governed by the Federal, State laws and the United States Constitution. The Federal Election Commission governs the financing of federal elections by enforcing the Federal Election Campaign Act. State law and state constitutions regulate elections at the state level and local levels. In the United Kingdom, there are five different types of elections and six kinds of electoral systems.
