Rules shape incentives without dictating every outcome. Plurality can encourage strategic support for viable candidates and reward geographically concentrated parties. A runoff permits a broader first-round choice but encourages coalition building before the final contest. Ranked-choice voting is a ballot and tabulation method whose effects depend on whether it fills one seat or several; it is not automatically proportional representation.

Direct democracy changes what voters decide. An initiative lets citizens who satisfy a qualifying process place a proposed law or constitutional amendment on the ballot. A referendum submits a measure or public question for voter approval or rejection, often after legislative referral. A recall asks whether an officeholder should be removed before the term ends. These procedures exist mainly under state and local law; the federal Constitution provides no general national initiative process.

Direct voting does not eliminate institutions. Signature requirements determine access, officials write ballot titles, campaigns shape information, courts review constitutional disputes, and agencies implement approved measures. Well-funded organizations can gain an advantage in signature collection and advertising, while low-turnout elections may produce an electorate different from the broader public. When classifying a procedure, ask what the voter is choosing and who placed it on the ballot: a primary chooses a nominee, a general election chooses an officeholder, an initiative originates policy through citizens, a referendum submits a measure, and a recall concerns continued tenure.

Video lesson: Election Basics: Crash Course Government and Politics #36