The 2026 season of presidential and legislative elections around the planet began this Sunday (11), with legislative elections in Benin, Africa, and ends on December 22, in South Sudan, also on the African continent. Through voting, by the end of the year, more than 1.5 billion people spread across all continents will go to the polls seeking to ensure basic rights, order and progress, in electoral disputes in around 60 countries.
Among them are citizens of the world’s largest populations: Bangladesh, Brazil, the United States of America, India, Russia, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some countries will hold general elections, which will define both the head of the Executive Branch and the distribution of seats in each of the respective parliaments – this is the case, for example, in Brazil, Sweden and Israel. Others will go to the polls in exclusively legislative elections, to choose parliamentarians, as is the case in the United States and Australia.
Americas
In the Americas (South, Central and North), five Latin American countries will elect presidents and legislators: Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru and Haiti. The Costa Rican elections are the first to take place on the continent, on February 1, when the nation’s voters will choose the new head of state, two vice presidents and the 57 members of the country’s Legislative Assembly.
In Brazil, the fourth largest democracy in the world, the 2026 General Elections will take place on October 4th, in the 1st round. More than 150 million voters will choose the President of the Republic, governors and senators, as well as federal, state and district deputies. If there is a possible 2nd round, it will be held on October 25th.
On November 3, the United States of America (USA) will hold mid-term legislative elections – known as midterms –, with the renewal of the House of Representatives (435 seats) and part of the Senate (35 of the 100 seats).
Europa
The European electoral calendar began on January 18th with the presidential elections in Portugal. In Europe, throughout the year, there will also be elections in Armenia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Denmark, Slovenia, Hungary, Latvia, Russia and Sweden, among other countries.
Africa
Several African countries will have elections in 2026, including Uganda, Republic of Congo, Libya, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Algeria, Zambia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Morocco, Gambia and South Sudan.
Asia
On the Asian continent, there will be elections in India, Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal and Vietnam, as well as in Lebanon, Israel, Bahrain and Iraq, located in the Middle East, a region made up of countries and territories in Western Asia.
Oceania
In Oceania, countries such as Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and other island territories, such as New Caledonia, Niue and the Cook Islands, are also part of the 2026 electoral calendar.
Check out some 2026 election dates around the world:
January
- Day 15: Uganda (presidential and legislative)
- Day 18: Portugal (presidential)
February
- Day 1: Costa Rica (presidential and legislative)
- Day 12: Bangladesh (legislature and prime minister)
March
- Day 8: Colombia (legislative)
- Day 15: Vietnam (legislative)
- Day 21: Australia (legislative)
- Day 22: Slovenia (legislative) and Republic of Congo (presidential)
April
- Day 12: Peru (presidential and legislative) and Hungary (legislative and prime minister)
May
- Day 7: Scotland (legislature and prime minister)
- Day 31: Colombia (presidential)
June
- Day 1: Ethiopia (general elections)
August
- Day 13: Zambia (presidential and legislative)
- Day 30: Haiti (presidential and legislative) and Estonia (general elections)
September
- Day 13: Sweden (legislative and prime minister)
October
- Day 3: Latvia (legislative)
- Day 4: Brazil (general elections)
- Day 27: Israel (legislative and prime minister)
November
- Day 3: United States of America (legislative)
December
- Day 19: New Zealand (legislature and prime minister)
- Day 22: South Sudan (general elections)
To be defined
Some countries are yet to define when they will hold elections, although they are expected to be held in 2026. They are: South Africa, Algeria, Denmark, India, Iraq, Nicaragua and Russia, among others.
