A more thorough explanation:

Definition: A certificate of election is a document that is issued by a governor, board of elections, or other competent authority to certify that a named person has been duly elected.

Example: After the election, the governor of the state issued a certificate of election to the newly elected senator.

Explanation: In this example, the certificate of election is a document that certifies that the newly elected senator has been duly elected. The governor, who is a competent authority, issued the certificate to make the election official.

Example: The board of elections issued a certificate of election to the winning candidate for mayor.

Explanation: In this example, the board of elections is the competent authority that issued the certificate of election to the winning candidate for mayor. The certificate certifies that the candidate has been duly elected.