Voting is the fundamental process in republics and representative democracies where individuals formally express their preferences via a ballot to elect officials or decide policies. The methods for determining election winners, known as electoral systems or social choice rules, vary significantly by country and political office, forming a complex field of study. In democracies, periodic elections often feature competition between established parties, allowing citizens to choose representatives (indirect democracy) or directly decide policies (direct democracy).
While a majority vote typically decides the outcome, many systems prioritize winning individual districts over the national "popular vote," as seen in the UK. Modern liberal democracies universally employ secret ballots to ensure authentic, unpressured decisions and protect voter privacy. Voting can occur at polling stations or remotely via mail or internet (e.g., Estonia), and is voluntary in some nations (e.g., UK) but compulsory in others (e.g., Australia), with diverse ballot designs allowing various selection methods.