Rolling election
Encyclopedia
Rolling elections are election
s in which all representatives
in a body are reelected, but these elections are spread over a period of time rather than all at once. Examples are the presidential primaries in the United States
, and, due to logistics, general elections in Lebanon
and India
. The voting procedure in the Legislative Assemblies of the Roman Republic are also a classical example.
In rolling elections, voters have information about previous voters' choices. While in the first elections, there may be plenty of hopeful candidates, in the last rounds consensus on one winner is generally achieved. In today's context of rapid communication, presidential candidates can put disproportionate resources into competing strongly in the first few stages, because those stages affect the reaction of latter stages.
Rolling elections are not to be confused with staggered elections
when not all members of a body have to face reelection at the same time.
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
s in which all representatives
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
in a body are reelected, but these elections are spread over a period of time rather than all at once. Examples are the presidential primaries in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and, due to logistics, general elections in Lebanon
Elections in Lebanon
Elections in Lebanon gives information on election and election results in Lebanon.- Parliamentary electoral system :Lebanon's national legislature is called the Assembly of Representatives...
and India
Elections in India
India has a quasi federal government, with elected officials at the federal , state and local levels. On a national level, the head of government, the Prime Minister, is elected directly by the people, through a general election. All members of the federal legislature, the Parliament, are directly...
. The voting procedure in the Legislative Assemblies of the Roman Republic are also a classical example.
In rolling elections, voters have information about previous voters' choices. While in the first elections, there may be plenty of hopeful candidates, in the last rounds consensus on one winner is generally achieved. In today's context of rapid communication, presidential candidates can put disproportionate resources into competing strongly in the first few stages, because those stages affect the reaction of latter stages.
Rolling elections are not to be confused with staggered elections
Staggered elections
In staggered elections, not all places in an elected body are up for election at the same time. The staggered election keeps some continuity in the elected body....
when not all members of a body have to face reelection at the same time.