INTRODUCTION;

Anelectionisaprocessbywhichapopulationchoosesanindividualorapartytoembrace
publicoffice.Theprocessofelectioniscomplexandtimeconsumingwhereinthedecisionsare
typicallymadebythepublic.Thepublicendupvotingforanindividualorapartywhothey
feelisdeemedtobefitandwillworkintheinterestofthepeopleandforthecountry.

DirectElections
Directelectionreferstothemethodofchoosingpoliticalofficeholdersinwhichthevoters
directlycastballotsfortheconcernedpersonorthepartywhomtheywishtoseeelected.The
electoralsystemusedgenerallychoosesthewinningpartyorwinnerofdirectelection
dependingonthemajorityofvotes.Someofthemostcommonlyusedelectoralsystemsare
tworoundsystemsandpluralitysystemthataretypicallyusedforsinglewinnerelectionlike
theelectionforPresident,andpartylistproportionalrepresentationthatelectsalegislature.
SomecommoninstancesofdirectlyelectedbodiesareEuropeanparliament(1978)andUnited
StatesSenate(1917).

IndirectElections
Indirectelectionreferstothemethodofelectioninwhichvotersinanelectiondonotchoose
candidatesforanofficebuttheyelectpeoplewhowillthenmaketheultimatechoice.Inother
words,peopledonotcasttheirvotesdirectlyinthismethod.Instead,theyputthedecisionin
thehandsofothers.Thisisknowntobetheoldestformofelectionandisstillusedinseveral
nationstoelecttheheadsofstatesforinstanceinIndia,Turkey,Pakistan,Hungary,Germany,
Italyandmanyothers.Thiskindofindirectelectionisusedinunionelectionsandalsoincivic,
fraternalandprofessionalorganizations.

AdvantagesofDirectandIndirectElections:
Thereareadvantagesanddisadvantagesofbothdirectandindirectelections.Letusseethe
advantagesofdirectelectionsandindirectelections.
AdvantagesofDirectElectionsTheadvantageofdirectelectionisthatitisaguaranteedform

ofelectionwhereincompleterightsandauthoritytodecidethepersonorpartywhomthey
want,isgiventothepeopleofthecountry.Thishelpsthepeopleofanationtoactuallyknow
whowillberepresentingthemandtheirneeds.
AdvantagesofIndirectElectionsTheadvantageofindirectelectionisthatpeopleentrustthe
powerofvotingtootherpeoplewhomtheyfeelwillchooseandelecttherightcandidatefor
them.Inindirectelection,politicianscannotmakeemotionalappealsandamassvotesneither
cantheyexploitthemassbybribingthemwithcashorkind.Since,theresponsibilityof
choosingtherightcandidateliesinthehandsofaselectfew,itoftenbecomesdifficultto
misleadormisguidethesefewwisepeoplewhofeelresponsibleandaccountablefortheirroles
andjobs,andselectacandidatebestfittedforthetask.

SimilaritiesbetweenDirectandIndirectElections:
Therearealsomanysimilaritiesbetweenindirectanddirectelections.Letusseewhatthe
similaritiesare.
Althoughtheprocessofvotingdiffersindirectandindirectelections,finallytheintention
ofboththemethodsistovoteforasuitablepersonwhocancomeintopowerandholdpublic
office.
Notonlythis,bothtypeofelectionsallowsequalrepresentationofvotersacrossallstates
irrespectiveofthesizeofthestate.
Thepopulationofeverystateisrevisedeverytenyearstomakesurethatthenumberof
peoplevotingorvotersareequaltothestatepopulation.Thisequalrepresentationis
applicableforbothdirectlyelectedelectionsandindirectelections.
Inboththesetypesofelections,itisseenthatthewinnergenerallyhastobetheonewho
securesmajorityofthevotes.
Evenifdirectandindirectelectionsdifferinprocess,thereisoneimportantaspectthatis
common,andthatis,thebenefitandwelfareofthecitizensandofthenation.