An election is an organized process where people vote to choose leaders or decide important questions. In an election, citizens cast ballots (their votes) to select who will represent them in government or what policies their community will follow.

Elections are fundamental to democracy. Instead of kings or dictators simply taking power, elections let ordinary people have a say in who governs them. Every few years, Americans vote in elections to choose their president, senators, representatives, governors, and many local officials like mayors and school board members.

When you elect someone, you're selecting them from among several candidates. A person running for office is a candidate, and the winner becomes an elected official or elected representative.

Elections require certain protections to work fairly. Votes must be counted honestly, people need accurate information about the candidates, and citizens must be free to vote for whoever they think is best without fear or pressure.

Different elections use different rules. In some, the candidate with the most votes wins. In others, like U.S. presidential elections, the winner is decided through the Electoral College system. Local elections might decide everything from who runs your city to whether your town should build a new library. Through elections, people collectively make choices that affect everyone in their community or country.