What type of election is primarily used to choose a party's candidate?

The primary election is the key event utilized by political parties to select their candidates for the general election. This process allows party members or registered voters to vote for their preferred candidate among those running within the party. The results determine which individual will represent the party in the upcoming general election.

In contrast to primary elections, general elections are held to choose officeholders after the candidates have already been selected through the primaries. Special elections are called to fill vacancies or address specific issues and are not primarily focused on selecting candidates for upcoming general elections. A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is invited to vote on a particular proposal and is often related to constitutional amendments or specific policy issues, rather than candidate selection.