Skip to main content
Menu Menu Close
Asia and the Pacific
Western Asia

Mexico holds general elections

Status
Past

On 2 June, more than 20,000 public officials were chosen in general elections (including members of federal and local legislatures, governors, mayors and council members). Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo was elected as Mexico’s first woman president, with 59.4 per cent of votes. Sheinbaum ran as candidate for the “Sigamos Haciendo Historia” coalition, which includes the ruling party, Morena. Voter turnout was 60.9 per cent (a slight decrease from the previous general election). Gender-parity in candidacies and in access to political participation is protected in the constitution.

Halla Tómasdóttir wins presidential election

Status
Past

In the presidential elections that took place on 1 June, the top three candidates were women. Halla Tómasdóttir, an independent candidate, won with 34 per cent of the votes in the first-past-the-post voting system, where the candidate with the most votes wins regardless of the total number of votes cast. A businesswoman and investor, Tómasdóttir said she will focus on issues like youth mental health, tourism development, and artificial intelligence.

Belgium holds regional, federal and European Parliament elections

Status
Past

On 9 June, voters elected regional and federal parliaments, and Belgium’s members of the European Parliament. Right-leaning, reformist parties gained more support over the far right and far left. The right-wing New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) remained the largest group in the Federal Parliament with 24 seats, followed by the Francophone liberal Reformist Movement (MR) and the far-right Vlaams Belang, both holding 20 seats. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo’s Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open VLD) party dropped from twelve to seven seats.

Georgia holds legislative elections under new electoral system

Status
Past

On 26 October, Georgia held a parliamentary election in which all 150 seats were contested under a fully proportional system for the first time. The incumbent right-wing Georgian Dream remained the largest party and won 89 seats with a vote share of 53.93 per cent. The centre-right Coalition for Change secured 19 seats with a vote share of 11.03 per cent. The Unity National Movement became the third-largest coalition, securing 16 seats with a vote share of 10.17 per cent.

Yamandú Orsi is elected Uruguay’s next President

Status
Past

On 27 October, Uruguay held general elections. Voter turnout was 89.52 per cent, similar to the 90,13 per cent recorded  in the last elections in 2019 (voting is compulsory). Uruguayans had the option to vote for one of 11 presidential tickets, all led by men. Yamandú Orsi from the Frente Amplio coalition and Álvaro Delgado from the National Party led the presidential race with 44 and 27 per cent of the vote, respectively. As neither reached the required 50 per cent, a run-off will take place on 24 November.

Opposition coalition wins landslide victory in legislative elections

Status
Past

Opposition coalition, the Alliance for Change (Alliance du Changement) won Mauritius’ legislative elections held on 10 November, securing 60 of the 62 (96.8 per cent) directly elected seats in the unicameral National Assembly. The Rodrigues People’s Organisation (Organisation du Peuple Rodriguais) won the remaining two seats, with the incumbent Alliance of the People (Alliance Lepep) coalition failing to secure an elected seat. Turnout was 79.3 per cent of registered voters (up from 77.0 per cent in 2019).

Gabon approves new constitution in referendum

Status
Past

Gabon passed a key milestone in its democratic transition on 16 November as voters approved a new constitution in a referendum, over a year after a coup d'état ended the 55-year rule of the Bongo family. According to the Constitutional Court, which validated the result on 29 November, the constitution was approved by 91.6 per cent of voters, with a turnout of 54.2 per cent. Among other changes, the new constitution abolishes the role of prime minister, prohibits dynastic succession and introduces a seven-year presidential term that may only be renewed once.

Centre-right Fianna Fáil wins early general elections

Status
Past

Ireland held early general elections on 29 November, after Prime Minister Simon Harris announced a snap election in a bid to secure another term for his Fine Gael party, which has been in office since 2011, and in a three-party coalition in the last mandate. Out of the 174 seats of the Dáil Éireann (Assembly), Fianna Fáil won 48 seats with a vote share of 21.9 per cent. The Sinn Féin party secured 39 seats, with a vote share of 19 per cent, and the Fine Gael secured 38 seats, with a vote share of 20.8 per cent. Voter turnout declined from 62.7 per cent in 2020 to 59.7 per cent in 2024.

Opposition Social Democratic Alliance wins early general elections

Status
Past

Iceland held early parliamentary elections on 30 November, the sixth since 2008. Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson, who came to power in April after his predecessor resigned, called for elections in October after ending the coalition between his Independence Party, the Progressive Party, and the Left-Green Movement due to disagreements over immigration, energy policy, and the cost-of-living crisis. Out of the 63 Alþingi (Parliament) seats, the Social Democratic Alliance (Samfylkingin) won 15 seats with a vote share of 20.8 per cent, becoming the largest party.