Bye election, also known as a special election, is a term used to describe a voting process that is held outside of the regular election cycle. This can happen when a sitting politician resigns or dies while in office, leaving their seat empty and in need of filling. In some countries, this process is referred to as a by-election. Other synonyms for bye election include special election, extraordinary election, and substitute election. Regardless of the name, the purpose of this type of election is to ensure that a community or district is represented by a full complement of elected officials who are accountable to their constituents.