Methods of Elections

There are two methods of electing representatives. They are:

1. Direct Methods of Election
2. Indirect Methods of Election

Direct Methods of Election

It is very simple process. Voters directly participate in election and elect their representatives of legislature, especially of the people’s chamber (House of Commons in UK and Parliament in India, House of Representatives in USA and Nepal).

Direct election makes people conscious of their rights and duties.

A direct contact between the electors and their representatives stimulates interest in public affairs, develop the sense of public spirit and sharpens the political intelligence and political vigilance of the people, though this method sometimes has been opposed by some political thinkers mentioning that all voters are not the best judges, inactive and uneducated voters could be used through political propaganda and cheap election campaign process, etc.

Indirect Methods of Election

When voters do not directly participate in the election of their representatives, only an intermediary body which alone will make the final choice, he method of election is called indirect. This intermediary body of electors is usually known as an electoral college. This method involves double elections.

General mass of voters first elect a small group of electors and then these electors elect the final representatives. This system limits the power of the general voters, but the selected electors’ superior intelligence and political knowledge could choose best one without any party propaganda.

But the indirect method of election in the modern period has neither gained much favor nor has educative value rather is undemocratic and politically inexpedient.