All the big elections to look out for in 2026

EXPLAINER

From the February ballot successful Bangladesh to the November US midterms, present is simply a calendar of cardinal predetermination dates.

More than 40 countries, representing a combined colonisation of 1.6 cardinal people, volition clasp national-level elections successful 2026.

These contests, including general, presidential, and parliamentary elections, volition signifier the governance for astir one-fifth of the planetary population. The outcomes volition power home policies, economical strategies, and planetary alliances.

Below is simply a month-by-month look astatine the cardinal elections to watch, on with their governmental consequences.

January

• Myanmar – General elections (January 11 – 2nd phase), (January 25 – 3rd phase)
• Uganda – General elections (January 15)
• Portugal – Presidential elections (January 18)

February

• Costa Rica – General elections (February 1)
• Thailand – General elections (February 8)
• Bangladesh – General elections (February 12)

Bangladesh volition clasp its archetypal nationalist ballot since a student-led uprising ended Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year regularisation successful 2024. Voters volition besides determine connected the “July Charter”, a betterment program limiting enforcement power, strengthening the judiciary, and insulating instrumentality enforcement from governmental interference.

Supporters chant slogans arsenic they artifact Shahbagh Square demanding justice, pursuing the decease of Sharif Osman Hadi, a pupil leader, who was undergoing attraction successful Singapore aft being changeable successful the head, successful Dhaka, Bangladesh, December 19, 2025 [Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters]

• Laos – Parliamentary elections (February 22)

March

• Nepal – General elections (March 5)

Nepal’s upcoming elections are shaped by the September 2025 Gen Z-led protests that toppled Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli implicit corruption and economical frustration. Many of the protesters person been campaigning for elector registration, highlighting however Nepalese younker present person a existent accidental to crook their question into governmental power and assistance signifier the country’s future.

• Vietnam – Parliamentary elections (March 15)
• Slovenia – Parliamentary elections (Expected connected March 22)
• Republic of the Congo – Presidential elections (March 22)

April

• Benin – Presidential elections (April 12)
• Hungary – Parliamentary elections (Expected connected April 12)

Hungary’s 2026 predetermination volition signifier some its home authorities and planetary alliances. Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a adjacent state of Russia who has accused the EU of warmongering implicit the Russia-Ukraine war, faces his toughest situation since his predetermination successful 2010 from rival Peter Magyar’s Tisza Party. The effect volition determine Hungary’s governmental equilibrium and its stance betwixt the EU and Russia, with wider implications for European stableness and the warfare successful Ukraine.

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy get for a associated quality briefing, amid Russia’s onslaught connected Ukraine, successful Kyiv, Ukraine, July 2, 2024 [File: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters]

• Peru – General elections (April 12)
• Libya – Presidential and parliamentary elections (Expected successful April)
• Djibouti – Presidential elections (Must beryllium held by April)
• Cape Verde – Parliamentary (Expected successful April)

May

• Cyprus – Parliamentary elections (May 24)
• Colombia – Presidential elections (May 31)

Colombians volition ballot for a caller president arsenic incumbent Gustavo Petro’s word volition extremity and helium cannot tally for re-election. Ivan Cepeda of Petro’s Historic Pact faces centrist Sergio Fajardo and right-wing Abelardo de la Espriella. The predetermination volition find whether Colombia tin beforehand stalled FARC bid agreements, tackle corruption, negociate rising violence, and navigate the determination challenges posed by neighbouring Venezuela, making it important for the country’s stableness and its narration with the United States.

Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro gestures aft delivering a code during his inauguration ceremonial astatine Bolivar Square successful Bogota, connected August 7, 2022 [Juan Barreto/AFP]

• Cameroon – Parliamentary elections (Must beryllium held by May)
• Lebanon – Parliamentary elections (Expected successful May)

Lebanon’s May predetermination volition correspond the archetypal large antiauthoritarian trial for the authorities of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and President Joseph Aoun. Hezbollah’s relation volition beryllium 1 of the large factors successful Lebanon’s 2026 elections, arsenic the ballot volition determine its governmental influence, interaction the statement implicit disarmament, and signifier the country’s sectarian equilibrium amid economical turmoil.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and members of the furniture basal arsenic they be a furniture league to sermon the army’s program to disarm Hezbollah, astatine the Presidential Palace successful Baabda, Lebanon, September 5, 2025 [Mohamed Azakir/Reuters]

June

• Ethiopia – General elections (June 1)
• Armenia – Parliamentary elections (June 7)
• Algeria – Parliamentary elections (Must beryllium held by June)

July

• Fiji – General elections (Expected betwixt June 2026 to February 2027)

August

• Zambia – General elections (August 13)
• Haiti – General elections (August 30)

September

• Sweden – General elections (September 13)
• Sao Tome and Principe – Parliamentary elections (Must beryllium held by September)
• Morocco – Parliamentary elections (Expected successful September)
• Russia – Parliamentary elections (Expected successful September)

October

• Latvia – Parliamentary elections (October 3)
• Brazil – General elections (October 4)

In October, Brazilians volition ballot for president, Congress, and authorities governments amid economical uncertainty, rising convulsive crime, and tense relations with the United States. Incumbent President Lula is seeking re-election and volition look challengers, including Flavio Bolsonaro, lad of jailed erstwhile President Jair Bolsonaro. The results could reshape Brazil’s ties with the US, steer its home economical and information trajectory, and people this arsenic 1 of Latin America’s astir consequential elections.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wears a headdress that reads “Brazil belongs to the Brazilians” arsenic helium attends a ceremonial to denote the commencement of payments nether the Income Transfer Program for farmers and fishermen, successful Linhares, Espirito Santo state, Brazil, July 11, 2025 [Ricardo Stuckert/Brazilian Presidency/Handout via Reuters]

• Israel – Parliamentary elections (Scheduled for October 27 but volition apt hap earlier)

Israel’s longest-serving premier minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, enters 2026 facing a historical conflict for governmental survival. While the ineligible deadline for elections is October 27, Netanyahu could trigger a drawback predetermination arsenic aboriginal arsenic June. Netanyahu’s Likud enactment faces mounting unit domestically implicit quality failures and its effect to the October 7, 2023, onslaught and internationally implicit its genocidal warfare successful Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a Plenum league of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, successful Jerusalem, June 11, 2025 [Ronen Zvulun/Reuters]

• Denmark – General elections (Must beryllium held by October 31)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina – General elections (Expected successful October)
• The Bahamas – General elections (Must beryllium held by October)

November

• United States – Midterm elections (November 3)

All 435 House seats and 35 retired of 100 Senate seats are up for grabs successful the upcoming US midterms. These elections are pivotal, arsenic they volition find power of Congress and person large implications for governance successful the United States. The results volition importantly power the magnitude of powerfulness that Donald Trump tin wield for the remainder of his term.

Republican statesmanlike nominee Donald Trump dances during his rally astatine Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center successful Aurora, Colorado, United States, October 11, 2024 [Isaiah J Downing/Reuters]

• Bulgaria – Presidential and parliamentary elections (Expected successful November)

December

• The Gambia – Presidential elections (December 5)
• New Zealand – General elections (Must beryllium held by December 19)
• South Sudan – General elections (Expected connected December 22)