e ‧ lec ‧ tion S2 W1 /ɪˈlekʃ ə n/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ election , ↑ re-election , ↑ elector , ↑ electorate , ↑ electioneering ; adjective : elected ≠ ↑ unelected , ↑ electoral , ↑ elect ; verb : ↑ elect , ↑ re-elect ; adverb : ↑ electorally ]
1 . [countable] when people vote to choose someone for an official position:
The Labour Party won the 2001 election by a huge majority.
Elections for the state governorship will be on November 25.
2 . [singular] the fact of being elected to an official position:
Within three months of his election he was forced to resign.
sb’s election to something
his election to Parliament
⇨ ↑ general election
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COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ have/hold an election
The government plans to hold an election in November.
▪ call an election (=arrange for an election to happen)
The Prime Minister would be unwise to call an election now.
▪ win an election
Who do you think will win the election?
▪ lose an election
If the party loses the election, they may decide they need a new leader.
▪ fight an election British English ( also contest an election British English formal ) (=take part in it and try to win)
Three independent candidates are also planning to contest the election.
▪ run for election ( also stand for election British English ) (=try to become elected)
If you plan to stand for election to the committee, you must be nominated by three members.
▪ rig an election (=dishonestly arrange the result)
He accused the ruling party of rigging the elections.
▪ boycott an election (=refuse to take part in an election as a protest)
Opposition parties have threatened to boycott the elections.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + election
▪ fair (=with no unfair advantage to one person or group)
The ruling party has promised that the elections will be fair.
▪ free (=with everyone allowed to vote for who they want)
These will be the country’s first free multi-party elections.
▪ democratic
The unions are calling for democratic elections.
▪ a general/national election (=one in which the whole country votes to elect a government)
Labour’s victory in the general election gave them a huge majority.
▪ a local/regional election
The Green Party increased its share of the vote in the French regional elections.
▪ a presidential election (=to elect a new president)
He is the Democrat Party’s candidate for the next presidential election.
▪ a leadership election (=to elect a new leader for a political party)
The result of the leadership election will be announced today.
▪ a congressional/parliamentary election (=to elect people to a congress or parliament)
People voted overwhelmingly Republican in the last congressional elections.
▪ a federal election (=to elect a federal government)
The federal elections are scheduled for May 2.
▪ a mayoral election (=to elect a new mayor)
The mayoral elections are due to take place next month.
▪ a gubernatorial election (=one to elect a governor)
We are still waiting for the result of the gubernatorial election in New Jersey.
■ election + NOUN
▪ an election victory/defeat
He became prime minister after a decisive election victory.
▪ the election results
The election results have been coming in all night.
▪ an election campaign
The election campaign got off to a bad start.
▪ an election candidate British English (=someone trying to be elected in an election)
Local party members choose the election candidates.
▪ an election promise/pledge (=one that is made while a person or party is trying to be elected)
The government has broken all its election promises.
▪ an election broadcast British English (=a programme by a party saying why people should vote for them in an election)
a Conservative Party election broadcast
▪ an election rally (=a public meeting to support a politician or party before an election)
He drove to Paris to address an election rally.
▪ an election year (=a year in which there is an election)
The Chancellor won’t raise taxes in an election year.
▪ election day/night (=the day or night when people are voting and the votes are being counted)
We urge all our supporters to get out and vote on election night.
▪ election time
I’m sick of all those political pamphlets that come through my door at election time.
■ phrases
▪ the run-up to the election (=the period of time before an election)
There have been violent street protests in the run-up to the elections.
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THESAURUS
▪ election an occasion when people choose a government or leader by voting:
the American presidential election
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South Africa held its first multi-racial elections in 1994.
▪ ballot /ˈbælət/ an occasion when the members of an organization vote by marking what they want on a piece of paper, especially to make sure that it is secret:
The result of the ballot showed that nurses were not in favour of a strike.
▪ referendum /ˌrefəˈrendəm/ an occasion when everyone in a country votes on an important political subject:
In the Danish referendum, the people voted ‘no’ to joining the European single currency.
▪ the polls the process of voting in a political election – used especially in news reports:
4,500,000 voters went to the polls in eight provinces to elect six governors.
▪ show of hands an act of voting informally for something by the people in a group raising their hands:
May I have a show of hands from all those in favour of the proposal?