Indirect election is a process in which voters in an election do not actually choose between candidates for an office but rather elect persons who will then make the choice. It is one of the oldest form of elections and is still used today for many upper houses and presidents. This process is also used in many union elections and sometimes in professional, civic, and fraternal organizations.
In the United States, the President is elected indirectly. Voters elect a slate of candidates for the Electoral College, which in turn elects the President. Many countries with parliamentary system and a weak presidency, elect their president indirectly (Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary).
Indirect political elections have been used for lesser national offices, as well. In the United States, the Senate was elected by the legislatures of the states until 1913, when the Seventeenth Amendment instituted direct elections for those office-holders. In France, election to the upper house of Parliament, the Sénat, is indirect, with the electors (called "grand électeurs") being local elected representatives.
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