Politics
An acclamation is a form of election not using a ballot. The most frequent type of acclamation is a voice vote, in which the voting group is asked who favors and who opposes the proposed candidate. In the event of a lack of opposition, the candidate is considered elected.
It is most commonly associated with papal elections (see Acclamation in papal elections), though this method has been specifically disallowed with changes in papal election law promulgated by Pope John Paul II. It is also sometimes found in the context of parliamentary decisions, or United States presidential nominating conventions.
In Canada, a candidate for a parliamentary or legislative position is said to be elected by acclamation if he or she has no opponents for the seat, an eventuality that rarely occurs except for legislative elections in the northern territories and municipal elections. The last instance of an acclamation in an election to the Canadian House of Commons was in 1957 when George Henry Doucett was acclaimed in a by-election following the death of his predecessor.
Religion
In liturgical Christian Churches, the Acclamations are the opening sentences at the beginning of the Eucharist.
References
- John N. Wall. A Dictionary for Episcopalians. Cambridge, MA: Cowley Publications, 2000.