Here's why:

* Contact forces require direct physical contact between objects. Examples include friction, normal force, and applied force.

* Non-contact forces act on objects without any physical contact. Examples include gravity, magnetic force, and electric force.

Electric force arises from the interaction of charged particles. These particles can exert a force on each other even when they are separated by a distance. This is because charged particles create electric fields around them, and these fields exert forces on other charged particles.

Think about it this way: you don't need to touch a magnet to feel its force. Similarly, you don't need to touch an electrically charged object to experience the force it exerts.