-elect

A candidate who has been elected to an office but who has not yet been installed or officially taken office may be referred to as an officer-elect, with the title of the position being used instead of "officer" (e.g. president-elect). These may include an incoming president, senator, representative, governor, mayor, and even Pope.

Analogously, the term "designate" (e.g. Prime Minister-designate) is used in systems without direct elections of executive politicians, such as in parliamentary systems.

The naming convention of "-elect" is different from an actual position which incorporates that title, e.g. the position of President-Elect, in some organizations.

Official positions in organizations

The bylaws of some clubs and other organizations may define an official position of President-Elect similar to a Vice President position. The members of the organization elect the President-Elect, rather than directly electing the organization's President. The President-Elect may be given limited duties, similar to a Vice-President. At the end of the term, the President-Elect is promoted to the position of President, and a new President-Elect is elected. The advantage of this schema is a clear continuity of succession, as well as the opportunity to familiarize the President-Elect with the operations of the organization before becoming President. A possible drawback is that once a President-Elect has been elected, another person cannot be elected President unless the President-Elect resigns or is removed from office.