[inconsistent] They are distinct from by-elections, which fill a seat that has become vacant between general elections.
[citation needed] The term general election in the United Kingdom often refers to the elections held on the same day in all constituencies of their members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons.
[citation needed] Historically, English and later British general elections took place over a period of several weeks, with individual constituencies holding polling on different days.
[2] Under the terms of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, in force until March 2022, the period between one general election and the next was fixed at five years, unless the House of Commons passed one of the following: Although not provided for in the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, an early election could also be brought about by an act of parliament specifically calling for a general election, which (unlike the second option above) only required a simple majority.
[6][need quotation to verify] In U.S. politics, general elections are elections held at any level (e.g. city, county, congressional district, state) that typically involve competition between at least two parties.