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General election
A general election is an election in which candidates are elected to offices. This is in contrast to a primary election, which is used either to narrow the field of candidates for a given elective office or to determine the nominees for political parties in advance of a general election. Generally, candidates for a general election are chosen via a primary election, but this is not always the case. For example, in Louisiana, all candidates for congressional and state-level office, regardless of party affiliation, participate in the state's general election (if no candidate wins an outright majority of votes in the general election, a runoff is held between the top two vote-getters). General elections occur at local, state, and federal levels, and typically occur at regular intervals. In some cases, elections may occur at irregular times, such as to elect a replacement for a seat vacated due to death, resignation, or removal from office.[1][2]
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