"Election is an act of God before creation in which he chooses some people to be saved, not on account of anyforeseen merit in them, but only because of his sovereign good pleasure." Dr. Wayne Grudem, from Systematic Theology. Below is a link to the second part of Grudem's teaching on the doctrine of election and reprobation.
http://scottsdalebible.com/assets/audio/christian-essentials/20080120WGrudem.mp3