To re-elect someone is to choose them by vote for the same kind of job again. The person already has the job, or had it before, and the voters put them back in.

To re-elect someonere-elect一個人 is to choose them by vote就是再一次投票選他們 for the same kind of job again擔任同一種職位。The person already has the job, or had it before這個人已經有這份工作，或以前做過, and the voters put them back in而選民把他們再選回去。

Cities re-elect a mayor; a country re-elects a president. The voters are the ones who re-elect; the politician is the one who is re-elected.

Cities re-elect a mayor城市re-elect市長；a country re-elects a president國家re-elect總統。The voters are the ones who re-elect選民是做re-elect這個動作的人；the politician is the one who is re-elected政治人物則是被re-elect的人。

Though actually, news writing loves the passive: she was re-elected, they were re-elected for a second term. That does not mean she voted for herself and won by magic — it means the people voted for her again.

Though actually不過其實，news writing loves the passive新聞寫作很愛用被動語態：she was re-elected她被re-elected（連任了）, they were re-elected for a second term他們被re-elected進入第二任期。That does not mean she voted for herself and won by magic這不是說她投給自己就靠魔法贏了 — it means the people voted for her again意思是人民再一次投給了她。

Re-elect is the normal word in politics and newspapers. It is not used for choosing a team captain in a small class unless you are joking in a grown-up way.

Re-elect is the normal word in politics and newspapersRe-elect是政治和報紙裡常用的字。It is not used for choosing a team captain in a small class它不會用在小班級選隊長這種事上, unless you are joking in a grown-up way除非你是在用一種大人式的玩笑口氣。

British spelling often keeps the hyphen before a vowel (re-elect); American spelling often writes reelect.

British spelling often keeps the hyphen before a vowel英式拼法在母音前常保留連字號 (re-elect)（re-elect）; American spelling often writes reelect美式拼法則常寫成reelect。