Although elections are usually associated with selecting government officials, the electorate may also be called on to vote on a particular new law or tax issue. Elections may be held to select officers at any level of government. However, in some countries with parliamentary forms of government, such as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, typically only the members of the county and national legislatures are elected. Elections in a Democratic Society Elections are an essential political feature of democratic nations, such as the United States, Canada, Japan, Mexico, and Great Britain. Elections give people the opportunity to choose their own leaders and to replace those whose actions have become unpopular.
Elections thus serve as an important means of limiting the power of a government.
When elections are held in nondemocratic countries, these requirements may not be safeguarded. In such cases, although the government may claim that a free and open election has taken place, the true desires of the people may not necessarily be reflected. Each state has the power to establish some of its own laws regarding voter requirements and the frequency of statewide elections. However, because the national government establishes federal election requirements, many of the states generally adopt the same rules and practices to reduce expenses and avoid the complexity of having two different systems. Democrats and Republicans nominate most of the candidates who run for public office in the United States.