general election
A general election is a scheduled election held to fill all or most of a political body's elected posts, usually taking place at regular intervals. For example, under 2 U.S.C. Section 7 , a general election for delegates and representatives to the United States Congress is held on “[t]he Tuesday next after the 1st Monday in November, in every even numbered year . . . in each of the States and Territories of the United States.”
Most elections in the United States are general elections. Those that are not general elections are called “ special elections .”
[Last reviewed in September of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team ]
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