Purposes of Elections

Purposes of Elections

The purposes and functions of elections include the following:

1. Accountability Of Government: Elections serve as a means of checking the excesses of the people's representatives in government. When the people's aspirations and wishes are not reflected in government policies and programmes, the electorate can effect a change of leadership during elections.
2. Legitimacy of government: Elections are held to enable government leaders to legitimize their rule. Legitimacy of government affords representatives the opportunity of exercising government powers on behalf of the citizenry.
3. Political participation: Elections makes It possible for the people to participate as voters or office seekers.
4. Communication link: Elections serve as a means of political communication between the Government and the governed. It is the process through which decision makers become sensitive to the electorates political demands and address such demands at least verbally.
5. Political education: Elections raise the political awareness and consciousness of the people of a country. Parties present their manifestoes. It enables the electorate to discuss political and other national issues extensively, thereby providing an opportunity for the resolution of controversies and arrival of some form of national consensus.
6. Smooth leadership succession: Elections are held to provide smooth leadership succession by voting.
7. Government control: Elections enable political parties to field candidates whom they campaign for to enable them to control the machinery of government.
8. Patriotism: Elections encourage a sense of identification and nationhood when it is free and fair.
9. Opportunity to test the popularity of leaders: Elections are held periodically to test the popularity of the leaders and their political parties.

Summarizing the Importance of Voting

Voting can be described as one of the methods by which people arrive at a decision. For the purpose of our study of government, voting is defined as the process of going to the polling booth on an election day to select who among political leaders one wants to become the leaders of a country for a given period of time. In spite of the disappointment electorates experience after they have voted people into power, voting is a very important ritual in the life of every democratic country. The following lists reasons why voting is important:

• Voting is important is because it gives citizens of the country the opportunity to participate in the political process.
• Since no government can take over political power in a democratic system if that government is not elected in a general election, this confers legitimacy on the government.
• Voting also allows citizens of a state to be effectively represented, since it allows them to vote in those they would prefer to represent and stand for their interests and welfare.
• Since governments are voted into power, this allows for a smooth transfer of power where predecessors accept the democratic choice of the majority and relinquish the seat of government.
• Voting prevents political adventurers from usurping political power from the hands of any ruling government. Once there is the established convention that political power comes when you are voted in by the majority, coming to power through military coups becomes less popular.