A parliamentary candidate is an individual who seeks to become a member of their country's legislative body, known as Parliament. In many democratic countries, members of Parliament are elected by the people through a process called voting or elections. A person who wishes to stand for election as a representative of their constituency must first be nominated by a political party or as an independent candidate. The nominee is then selected through a vote within the party or by the electorate in the case of an independent candidacy. Once chosen, the parliamentary candidate campaigns and seeks to win votes from the people in order to secure their seat in Parliament.