Legal Definitions - regular election

A regular election is an election that is held at a fixed, predetermined interval according to established law or constitutional provisions. These elections are part of the standard electoral calendar and are typically designed to fill a range of public offices, as opposed to special elections called to address unexpected vacancies or specific issues.

• Example 1: Every four years, citizens across the United States participate in the election for President and Vice President, alongside elections for all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and approximately one-third of the Senate seats.

  Explanation: This scenario illustrates a regular election because it occurs on a constitutionally mandated schedule (every four years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November), involves voting for multiple federal offices, and is a standard part of the nation's electoral cycle, not an emergency or special vote.

• Example 2: In the state of California, voters go to the polls every four years to elect their Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and other statewide executive officers, as well as members of the State Assembly and State Senate.

  Explanation: This is a regular election because it takes place at a set interval (every four years) on a specific date, is open to all eligible voters in the state, and is intended to fill multiple predetermined state-level positions as part of the normal governmental transition process.

• Example 3: A city holds elections every two years on the second Tuesday of November to elect members to its city council and school board. These elections are consistently scheduled and announced well in advance.

  Explanation: This exemplifies a regular election because it adheres to a fixed, recurring schedule (every two years), is a standard event on the municipal calendar, and serves to fill multiple local government positions as part of the routine democratic process, rather than being called due to an unforeseen vacancy or specific ballot measure.