Délections

Délections is a rarely attested term in French and does not have a fixed, widely accepted meaning in political science. The form resembles a blend of de- and élections, and its usage varies among authors. In one sense, délections can refer to the act of removing an elected official from office before the end of their term, a process more commonly described as destitution, recall, impeachment, or révocation, depending on the jurisdiction. In another sense, it may be used to describe a hypothetical or exceptional scenario in which electoral events themselves are canceled, postponed, or invalidated by constitutional authorities, though such usage is speculative and context-dependent.

Beyond these uses, some writers have employed délections in a metaphorical sense to denote a withdrawal from political participation or a boycott, treating it as a form of non-participation in elections rather than a procedural action. Given the limited and nonstandard usage, délections is not listed in major French dictionaries and is not a recognized technical term in electoral law. When encountered, the term should be interpreted from its context, with attention to whether the author is discussing removal of officials, suspension or alteration of elections, or disengagement from politics.

Related concepts include élections, démission, destitution, révocation, rappel électoral, and boycott.