Local elections, vary widely across
jurisdictions. In
electoral system that roughly follow the
Westminster model, a terminology has evolved with roles such as
Mayor or Warden to describe the executive of a city, town or region, although the actual means of elections vary. Political careers are often made at the local level:
Boris Yeltsin, for instance, as the top official in
Moscow, was able to prove his effectiveness and eventually take the job of
President of Russia after the
collapse of the USSR. When he fought his first contested local election, he demonstrated a willingness to put his policies to the ballot.