voting

Voting is the process of making collective decisions by means of submitting and then adding up individual choices. The choice voted upon is often a candidate for office, but the object of a vote can be anything, for example what kind of food to buy or whether a defendant is innocent or guilty. Voting can be formal, using ballots and specific rules, or informal using raised hands, shouts (such as when the voice vote is used), or movement to indicate preference.

Choosing one or more officials or representatives by casting an oral vote or a ballot, a document that formally expresses the preference or preferences of a voter (also known as a constituent) as to whom should be elected or whom the voter likes and thinks has best chance to be elected. Voting can also be used to decide on policy usually by a majority but sometimes a super-majority is required. In republics and representative democracies, a portion of the population votes to choose representative government members.