Indirect elections involve citizens voting for electors who will select a candidate, rather than voting directly for the candidate. This method is used in various nations to elect heads of state, legislators, and other public officials. Indirect elections have been historically used to limit voting rights, but are also used to ensure qualified candidates are elected. Voters are typically “locked” to a specific candidate or party in an indirect election, and faithless voters who vote for opponents may do so as a protest or because they believe the opponent is a better candidate.
An indirect election is an election in which individual citizens vote for the electors who will select a candidate. In other words, they don’t vote directly for the candidate, choosing instead to place the decision in the hands of others. Indirect elections are used in various ways in nations around the world, and historically, indirect elections were extremely common. Selected voters belong to a group known collectively as an electoral college.
Several nations elect their heads of state through the indirect election process, including Hungary, Latvia, Israel, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, the United States, and the Czech Republic. In other nations, indirect elections are used to select members of governing bodies legislators and other public officials. Some argue that the indirect election system allows candidates to focus more on national issues, as they don’t necessarily have to focus on winning the popular vote, as long as they can secure the number of voters they need to win. Others believe that direct elections more accurately reflect the will of the people.
Indirect elections have often been used historically to take power out of the hands of the people. Historically, the right to vote was often limited to landowners, and these men selected legislative bodies, relying on the legislature to select a president, prime minister, and other key officials. Many nations reformed these systems as voting rights expanded, with the argument being that people should be allowed to play a more direct role in selecting their governors.
The indirect method is not only used in gubernatorial elections. Union elections, student officer elections in schools, and other elections may also use an indirect method. In some cases, indirect elections are used to ensure that qualified people are elected, such as when people elect someone to serve as a director. The most conspicuous candidate may not necessarily be the best suited to governance from an administrative point of view, and an indirect election allows voters to choose the most qualified candidate for the position.
Voters are typically “locked” to a specific candidate or party in an indirect election, so citizens can be sure they are accurately represented. If a voter chooses to vote for an opponent, he is known as a “faithful voter,” referring to the idea that the pledge has been broken. Faithless voters may vote for opponents as a symbol of protest, or because they sincerely believe the opponent is a better candidate.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
