Zambia courts close on last day for vote challenges
Zambia closed its entire judiciary for “security reasons” on Monday, the final day for filing court challenges to the presidential election result, drawing cri…
Elections & Democracy — August 2026
Marine Le Pen could face Melenchon, French poll shows
Marine Le Pen could face hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon in the run-off of France's presidential election next spring, according to a Harris-Interactive-To…
Alaska Senate race features three Dan Sullivans
Alaska's US Senate race has taken an unusual turn, with three politically involved men named Dan Sullivan now part of the campaign narrative. The Republican i…
Kuwait strips naturalised citizens of voting rights
Kuwait's emir approved a decree Sunday barring naturalised citizens from voting, Kuwait's official KUNA news agency reported. Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber…
Raphael Glucksmann says he will run for French president
Raphael Glucksmann, a centre-left French member of the European Parliament, announced on August 23 that he will run for president in France's 2027 election. "…
Kazakhstan vote lacked choice, OSCE says after Adilet win
The OSCE said Kazakhstan's Aug. 23 early parliamentary elections lacked political pluralism and choice after the ruling Adilet party won more than 70% of the v…
Karoline Leavitt to join pro-Trump super PAC
Departing White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Friday that she will join MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump political fundraising group, when she leaves…
JD Vance campaigns in Ohio with 2028 in view
US Vice President JD Vance returned to Middletown, Ohio, on Friday to campaign for Republican candidates ahead of November's midterm elections while continuing…
Swiss neutrality vote set for defeat, polls show
Swiss voters appear likely to reject a proposal to tighten the country's neutrality rules in a September 27 popular vote, according to two opinion polls. An S…
Serbia snap election likely in October, Vucic says
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said parliamentary elections would most likely be held on October 18 or October 25, signalling a possible snap vote sought b…
Marine Tondelier pregnant in France presidential race
French Greens leader Marine Tondelier is campaigning for the 2027 presidential election while pregnant, bringing motherhood, infertility and reproductive healt…
Noncitizen voting: experts question US Census report
A US Census Bureau report claiming that around 24,000 noncitizens voted in the 2020 presidential election has drawn criticism from experts and former bureau of…
South Sudan election could fuel atrocities, UN warns
A United Nations-appointed human rights commission warned Thursday that South Sudan’s planned December elections could fuel renewed conflict and increase the risk of atrocities. South Sudan’s government says it intends to hold the country’s first-ever electio…
Haiti elections: OAS urges faster voter registration
Organization of American States Secretary General Albert Ramdin urged Haitian authorities on Wednesday to speed up voter registration before elections schedule…
Senegal local elections: opposition demands date
Senegal's opposition is pressing President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to set a date for municipal and departmental elections, with current local mandates due to exp…
Israel election violence warnings grow before October vote
Warnings are growing in Israel that political violence could break out before the October 27 election, as a tight race and deep divisions raise concerns about…
Jimmie Akesson eyes Sweden PM job in 2030
Jimmie Akesson, leader of Sweden's anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, told AFP on Wednesday that he would like to aim for the post of prime minister in 2030 or…
Nigeria election campaigns start as Tinubu seeks second term
Campaigning began in Nigeria on Wednesday, August 19, five months before elections in which President Bola Tinubu is seeking a second term amid economic strain…
Ukraine elections urged by sacked ex-defence minister
Former Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was sacked last month, called on August 18 for Ukraine to find a way to hold elections that have been postponed because of Russia's invasion. Ukraine imposed martial law when Russian forces crossed the b…
Angie Nixon wins Florida Senate primary; Trump picks lose
Angie Nixon, a Florida state lawmaker and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, won the Democratic US Senate primary to challenge for a Republican-he…
Trump votes by mail after calling ballots corrupt
US President Donald Trump voted by mail in Florida's Republican primary on Tuesday despite repeatedly denouncing mail ballots as corrupt and pushing to restrict their use before November's midterm elections. Palm Beach County voting records show Trump request…
France probes suspected Russian disinfo in 2027 race
French prosecutors have opened a probe into a suspected Russian disinformation campaign targeting centrist candidates in France's 2027 presidential election, t…
Edouard Philippe backed by Gerald Darmanin for 2027
French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin has endorsed centre-right candidate Edouard Philippe for the 2027 presidential election and said he will not run himsel…
Netanyahu loyalists win Likud ballot for Israel election
Benjamin Netanyahu loyalists won leading places on Likud's candidate list for Israel's October 27 election, strengthening the prime minister's control over his…
UN criticises Russia's Yabloko ban, Shlosberg sentence
The United Nations criticised Russia's ban on the anti-war party Yabloko from legislative elections and the sentencing of opposition politician Lev Shlosberg.…
Zambia election: Hichilema wins, rival vows challenge
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema won a second term with about 60 percent of the vote, the electoral commission said, after an election his main challenger…
Zambia police summon opposition leader Mundubile
Zambian police summoned opposition leader Brian Mundubile and his running mate, Makebi Zulu, for questioning over an alleged national security threat after a d…
Brazil election: Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro court women
Brazil's presidential election campaign opened Sunday with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro launching rallies aimed at women voters, a key bloc in a tight race. Voters in Latin America's largest economy go to the pol…
Brazil election faces Lula son and Bolsonaro film probes
Brazil's election campaign is opening under separate investigations linked to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's son and a film about former president Jair Bolsonaro. Police are investigating allegations of influence-peddling involving Lula's eldest son, F…
2028 Democratic primaries to open in South Carolina
The US Democratic Party voted on August 15 to open its 2028 presidential nominating calendar in South Carolina, followed by Nevada, as it prioritises states with large Black and Latino populations early in the race. South Carolina is scheduled to vote on Janu…
Zambia election observers cite intimidation and count pause
International observers said Zambia's election was marred by claims of intimidation, abductions and an hours-long pause in vote counting, as President Hakainde Hichilema sought a second term. The electoral commission suspended counting for around six hours on…
Colombia president-elect urges vote result respect
Colombia's president-elect Abelardo De la Espriella urged people to respect his election victory “without ambiguity” after outgoing President Gustavo Petro cas…
Zambia election results put Hichilema on course to win
Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema moved ahead in partial presidential election results on Sunday, with more than half of constituencies counted and enough of the vote so far to put him on course for a first-round win. The Electoral Commission of Zambia sa…
German AfD pledges migrant expulsions in Saxony-Anhalt
Germany's far-right AfD party unveiled a Saxony-Anhalt campaign manifesto on Saturday, pledging to expel undocumented immigrants immediately if it wins control…
Trump fires Election Assistance Commission Democrats
President Donald Trump fired the last two Democrats on the US Election Assistance Commission, leaving the federal election agency without enough commissioners…
Trump fires remaining election commissioners, media say
US President Donald Trump fired the two remaining commissioners at the Election Assistance Commission, the federal agency involved in voting equipment certific…
Colombia's Petro promises peaceful handover
Colombia's outgoing President Gustavo Petro has promised a peaceful transfer of power to president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella after calling for protests before the right-wing leader takes office. Brazil's government said Petro made the commitment in a pho…
Graham Platner quits Maine race after rape allegation
Graham Platner has quit the Maine US Senate race after a rape allegation he denies, forcing Democrats to find a replacement candidate in one of their key midterm contests. Platner, a Marine veteran and political newcomer, had built support among progressive g…
AfD’s Ulrich Siegmund eyes east German state power
Ulrich Siegmund is campaigning to make the far-right Alternative for Germany the governing party of an eastern German state for the first time. Siegmund, 35, is the AfD candidate in Saxony-Anhalt, where the party leads polls ahead of the September 6 election.…
Graham Platner exits Maine Senate race after rape allegation
Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for a US Senate seat in Maine, said Wednesday that he was suspending his campaign after a rape allegation threatened his party's effort to defeat Republican Senator Susan Collins. Platner, a 41-year-old Marine veteran, o…
Marine Le Pen presses 2027 bid while appealing conviction
Marine Le Pen is pressing ahead with her 2027 French presidential campaign while challenging an embezzlement conviction before France's highest court. Le Pen, the leading figure in the far-right National Rally, has run for president three times and twice reac…
Nigel Farage takes Clacton by-election gamble
Nigel Farage is trying to keep his place in parliament in a Clacton by-election on Thursday, August 13, 2026, after resigning from the eastern England seat to force a vote he has cast as a fight against the establishment. Farage, 62, leads Reform UK and becam…
Cook Islands PM on track for election win, media say
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown was on track for an election victory on Thursday, according to early local media results, after a campaign shaped by China ties and possible deep-sea mining. Brown's ruling Cook Islands Party was on track to win 12 seats…
Zambia election: Hichilema and Mundubile lead field
Zambia's presidential election on Thursday, August 13, has 14 candidates, with President Hakainde Hichilema and opposition challenger Brian Mundubile presented by AFP as the main contenders. Hichilema, 64, is seeking a second and final five-year term. Known a…
Zambia election tests Hichilema’s economic record
Zambians voted on Thursday in an election testing President Hakainde Hichilema’s economic record as he seeks a second term in the copper-rich country. Voters queued from early morning in a contest shaped by living costs, jobs and opposition accusations that p…
Zambia election: several arrested over alleged plot
Zambia's Interior Ministry said security agencies had arrested several suspects accused of plotting to interfere with the electoral system before Thursday's elections. The ministry said Wednesday that those arrested included three former senior government off…
US Democratic primaries give left mixed results
US Democratic primary voters handed left-wing candidates mixed results on Wednesday, with a setback in Wisconsin and a major win in Minnesota ahead of November's midterm elections. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley narrowly defeated democratic socialis…
Nigel Farage wins Clacton; Count Binface takes 27%
Nigel Farage was re-elected to his parliamentary seat in Clacton on Friday, taking 63 percent of the vote in a by-election where joke candidate Count Binface finished second with 27 percent. Farage, the Reform UK leader, triggered the vote by resigning from t…
Zambia election: Hichilema rallies as rival alleges arrests
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema drew tens of thousands of supporters to Lusaka on Tuesday as he campaigned for a second term two days before the election, while his main challenger alleged arrests and abductions were being used to intimidate the oppositi…
Democratic primaries split left and centrist wins
US Democratic primaries produced split results Wednesday, with left-wing candidate Peggy Flanagan winning the party's nomination for a Minnesota Senate seat while centrist David Crowley narrowly won the Democratic nomination for governor of Wisconsin. US medi…
Israel election faces foreign interference risk, experts warn
Israeli experts and a watchdog group are warning that the country is not ready to counter foreign influence campaigns before the October 27 election, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a tight re-election contest. FakeReporter, an Israeli non-gover…
Nigel Farage faces Count Binface in Clacton by-election
Nigel Farage is seeking to regain his Clacton-on-Sea parliamentary seat in a Thursday by-election after resigning last month amid a probe into his finances, with parody candidate Count Binface emerging as his main challenger. Farage, leader of Reform UK, won…
Zambia election not free or fair, Mundubile says
Zambian opposition leader Brian Mundubile said Wednesday that Thursday’s general election was on course to be neither free nor fair, accusing authorities of restricting his campaign against President Hakainde Hichilema. “An election is a process and not an ev…
Sierra Leone passes contested election reform
Sierra Leone's parliament approved a contested constitutional reform on August 10 that would overhaul electoral rules ahead of the 2028 presidential race, after opposition lawmakers walked out over the required majority. Speaker Segepoh Solomon Thomas said th…
UN urges Russia to lift anti-war party election ban
The United Nations called on Russia to lift its election ban on Yabloko, the country's only anti-war party still operating inside Russia. Russia's Supreme Court barred Yabloko from standing as a party in the proportional part of September's parliamentary elec…
Black voters in Memphis fear diluted voice in maps
Black voters and clergy in Memphis say Tennessee's new congressional map threatens to dilute their political voice in November's US midterm elections. Tennessee's Republican-controlled legislature redrew the state's congressional districts in May, days after…
Kenya election ruling paused after court backs 2026 vote
A Kenyan court on Friday suspended its own ruling that the next presidential election should be held in August 2026 rather than on the scheduled August 10, 2027 date. Judge Mugure Thande said holding the next presidential election on any date other than the s…
Pakistan-administered Kashmir polls delayed over security
Polling in two districts of disputed Pakistan-administered Kashmir has been postponed because of security concerns, the election commission said Friday, days before voting had been due to take place. The third phase of elections was scheduled for August 10, b…
Democrats face left-wing test after El-Sayed primary win
Recent wins by progressive candidates, including Abdul El-Sayed's victory in Michigan's Democratic primary for a US Senate race, have intensified debate inside the Democratic Party before the November midterms. El-Sayed's win over four-term congresswoman Hale…
Justin Pearson stays in Tennessee House race after map shift
Tennessee state lawmaker Justin Pearson says he will stay in the race for the US House after Republicans redrew the state's 9th Congressional District, forcing the Memphis Democrat to campaign across a larger and more Republican-leaning area. Pearson, a 31-ye…
Flavio Bolsonaro picks Alfredo Gaspar as running mate
Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro on Wednesday named conservative lawmaker Alfredo Gaspar as his running mate for the October election. Bolsonaro, a right-wing senator and son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, is the main election rival of P…
Gabriel Attal targeted by Russian disinformation, team says
French presidential candidate Gabriel Attal's team said Wednesday that he had been targeted by a Russian disinformation campaign, and France's Viginum watchdog said it had detected the operation a day earlier. A member of Attal's staff said security authoriti…
France suspects Russian meddling before 2027 election
France suspects Russia-linked actors have tried to spread fake stories about French politicians running or likely to run in the 2027 presidential election, a security source and left-wing European lawmaker Raphael Glucksmann said. The security source said Fre…
Abdul El-Sayed urges unity after Michigan Senate win
Abdul El-Sayed urged Democrats to unite after winning Michigan’s Democratic nomination for the US Senate on Wednesday, setting up a November race against former Republican congressman Mike Rogers in a battleground state central to the fight for control of the…
Petro claims Colombia election fraud, warns of civil war
Colombia's outgoing president Gustavo Petro said on August 3 that he had evidence of fraud in the presidential election and warned that president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella's rise to power could lead to "civil war." Petro told a press conference that June…
Max Miller faces calls to quit over abuse claims
US congressman Max Miller is facing growing calls to abandon his reelection bid after domestic abuse allegations against him unsettled Republicans before November's midterm elections. Miller, a former aide in President Donald Trump's White House, has denied a…
Malaysia's UMNO boosted by state poll wins
Malaysia's former ruling UMNO party has been boosted by back-to-back state election wins that analysts said could reshape political alliances before the next general election. Barisan Nasional, the coalition led by UMNO, won control of Negeri Sembilan state i…
Michelle Bolsonaro nominated for Brazil Senate race
Brazil's right-wing Liberal Party nominated former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro as a Senate candidate on Sunday, adding another Bolsonaro family figure to October's election campaign. The nomination came despite a recent public feud between Michelle Bolsonar…
Lula launches Brazil fourth-term bid at 80
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva launched his candidacy for October's election at a Workers' Party convention in Sao Paulo on Sunday, saying he was "in great shape" as he sought a fourth and final term. Lula, 80, cast himself as an experienced le…
Lula, 80, makes stamina a Brazil election issue
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is making stamina part of his bid for a fourth term, using workout videos and a busy schedule to answer questions about whether, at 80, he can win and govern after October's election. Lula says he feels fitter tha…
Bev Craig elected Greater Manchester mayor
Bev Craig has been elected mayor of Greater Manchester, keeping the northern English city region under Labour control after Andy Burnham returned to parliament. Craig, the leader of Manchester City Council, was elected after a second round of counting. Publis…