Election is the process of choosing someone to represent or govern a group. It may involve a public or private vote, depending on the position being voted on. Most positions at the local, county and state levels as well as at the federal level are elected.
It is important to vote because who gets elected determines many aspects of your life and the lives of those around you. What kind of schools your children attend, how much access you have to healthcare, what policies are enacted about crime, immigration and other issues that impact you and those you love. These are all decided by the people voted into office at the local, county, state and federal levels of government by you.
Voting also reinforces the stability and legitimacy of a political community. When elections are conducted fairly, they confirm that the power to govern flows from the people rather than through an elite (although it can also legitimize autocratic states if not conducted fairly).
Elections are held on a regular basis in most countries, with different rules and regulations governing who can vote, when they can vote and how votes are counted. For example, some countries restrict suffrage to citizens over the age of majority and some limit or prohibit certain groups from voting such as people with criminal records, prisoners and immigrants. Other countries allow voters to cast multiple ballots and use methods like ranked choice voting to select their preferred candidate, which reduces the chances of a tie.