2014 Hillary Term Election Results1/8/14 3:40 PM

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

United States of America: United States House of Representatives Special Primary for Florida’s 13 th Congressional District

After 22-term Republican incumbent Bill Young passed away in October, this very evenly split district is now up for election

Republican primary won by David Jolly, attorney and former general counsel to late incumbent Bill Young, with 45% of the vote

o State representative Kathleen Peters wins 31% of the voteo Retired United States Marine Corps Brigadier General wins 24% of the

vote Democratic primary won by former Chief Financial Officer of Florida and

2010 Democratic Florida Governor nominee Alex Sink, who was unchallenged

Tuesday, January 14 - Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Egyptian Constitutional Referendum Final constitutional proposal forbids party formation based on “religion, race,

gender or geography,” makes Islam the state religion and the basis for the country’s law system, nominally guarantees freedom of religion, provides for elections for the President every four years and limits him to two terms in office and allows the Minister of Defense to be chosen by the military for the first eight years

In results that see a 38.6% turnout, the new constitution is approved by 98.1% of voters

The Muslim Brotherhood boycotts the results, causing many to doubt the legitimacy of the results

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Canada: Manitoba Provincial Parliamentary By-Elections in Morris and Arthur-Virden Districts

Manitoba, a province of about 1,200,000 people bordering Ontario, has a unicameral legislature of 57 people, each elected in a single-member constituency with first-past-the-post voting; it is dominated by the social democratic New Democratic Party

The Morris and Arthur-Virden districts, the former located on the far southwestern border and the latter located near the central southern border, are both overwhelmingly pro-Progressive Conservative, and are voting today to replace their members of Parliament until the next provincial election, which will occur in 2015

In Morris: o Center-right Progressive Conservative Party candidate Shannon

Martin wins with 69.99% of the vote, down from 74.00%o Center-left New Democrat candidate Dean Harder wins 12.93% of the

vote, down from 19.37%o Center- to- center-left Liberal Party candidate Jeremy Barber wins

11.18% of the vote, up from 6.63%o Independent candidate Ray Shaw wins 3.66% of the voteo Green candidate Alain Landry wins 2.25% of the vote

In Arthur-Virden: o Center-right Progressive Conservative Party candidate Doyle

Piwniuk wins with 68.20%, up from 65.97%o Centrist- to- center-left Liberal Party candidate Floyd Buhler wins

16.04% of the vote, up from 3.81%o Center-left New Democrat candidate Bob Senff wins 10.43% of the

vote, down from 30.21%o Green candidate Kate Storey wins 5.33% of the vote

The provincial legislature’s party breakdown remains 37-New Democrat, 19-Progressive Conservative, 1-Liberal Party

Sunday, February 2, 2014

First Round of Costa Rican Presidential Election

Costa Rica, a country of about 4,600,000 people and a stable democracy since 1949, holds presidential elections every four years, with the incumbent ineligible to participate, and today it successfully holds a peaceful election, with the center-left National Liberation Party currently in power; since neither candidate reaches 40% of the vote, the elections go into a second round, with the top two candidates moving on

The President cannot veto the legislative budget, and is not commander-in-chief since Costa Rica has no military, but he or she can appoint anyone to his or her cabinet without approval from Congress

This is the first election during which Costa Ricans living abroad can vote Center-left social democratic progressive Christian socialist Citizens’

Action Party’s candidate Luis Guillermo Solís wins 30.95% of the vote, up from 25.15%, moving on the next round

Center-left social democratic National Liberation Party’s candidate Jonny Araya Monge wins 29.59%, down from 46.78%, moving on to the next round

Leftist socialist green humanist progressive Broad Front’s candidate José María Villalta Florez-Estrada wins 17.14%, up from 0.37%

Classically liberal Libertarian Movement Party candidate Otto Guevara wins 11.19%, down from 20.83%

Center-right conservative Christian democratic Social Christian Union Party candidate Rodolfo Piza wins 5.97%, up from 3.86%

The new New Fatherland Party candidate José Miguel Corrales Bolaños wins 1.5%

The new National Restoration Party candidate Carlos Avendaño wins 1.35% Conservative Christian democratic Costa Rican Renovation Party candidate

Justo Orozco wins 0.8%, up from 0.72% Single-issue pro-disability rights Accessibility without Exclusion candidate

Óscar López wins 0.53%, down from 1.91% The new New Generation Party candidate Sergio Mena wins 0.29% The new Workers’ Party candidate Héctor Monestel wins 0.25% The new National Advance Party candidate Walter Muñoz wins 0.22% National Integration Party candidate José Echandi wins 0.22%, up from

0.17%

Costa Rican Parliamentary Elections

Costa Rica, a country of about 4,600,000 people and a stable democracy since 1949, holds parliamentary elections every four years; its unicameral legislature, the Legislative Assembly, has 57 members elected through a closed-list proportional representation system

The legislative budget cannot be vetoed, so the legislature has considerable power

This is the first election during which Costa Ricans living abroad can vote Center-left social democratic National Liberation Party wins 18 of 57

seats, down from 23, with 25.54% of the vote, down from 37.16% Center-left social democratic progressive Christian socialist Citizens’

Action Party wins 13 of 57 seats, up from 11, and 23.84% of the vote, up from 17.68%

Leftist socialist green humanist progressive Broad Front wins 9 of 57 seats, up from 1, and 13.09% of the vote, up from 3.66%

Center-right conservative Christian democratic Social Christian Union Party wins 8 of 57 seats, up from 6, and 10.01% of the vote, up from 8.05%

Classically liberal Libertarian Movement Party wins 4 of 57 seats, down from 9, and 7.92% of the vote, down from 14.48%

Conservative Christian democratic Costa Rican Renovation Party wins 2 of 57 seats, up from 1, and 3.97% of the vote, up from 3.79%

National Restoration Party wins 1 of 57 seats, as in the last election, and 4.11% of the vote, up from 1.62%

Single-issue pro-disability rights Accessibility without Exclusion wins 1 of 57 seats, down from 4, and 3.95% of the vote, down from 9.17%

New center-right conservative Christian democratic Christian Democratic Alliance wins 1 of 57 seats and 1.15% of the vote

First Round of El Salvadoran Presidential Election El Salvador, a country of about 6,200,000 people and an unstable

democracy more or less at peace since 1992, holds presidential elections every five years; re-election is not permitted, and if an absolute majority is not achieved in the first round of an election, a run-off election is called between the top two candidates

This is the first election during which Salvadorans living abroad can vote, with about 200,000 eligible

Leftist- to- center-left progressive social democratic Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front’s candidate Salvador Sánchez Cerén wins 48.93%, down from 51.32%, and moves on to the next round; his party is currently the one in power

Conservative nationalist neoliberal Nationalist Republican Alliance’s candidate Norman Quijano wins 38.96%, down from 48.68%, and moves on to the next round

The new pro-free market, healthcare investment and dairy and livestock support Unity Movement’s candidate Antonio Saca wins 11.44%

The new Salvadoran Progressive Party’s candidate René Rodriguez Hurtado wins 0.42%

The new Salvadoran Patriot Fraternity’s candidate Óscar Lemus wins 0.25%

Thailand General Election The early parliamentary elections for the House of Representatives, the

lower house of Parliament, which were called due to massive protests by opponents of the majoritarian Yingluck Thinawatra regime, descend into turmoil because too many polls are blocked by opponents for 95% of constituency seats to be elected, potentially invalidating the results

The House of Representatives has 500 members, 375 of them directly elected in single constituency elections through first-past-the-post voting, and the others elected through proportional representation; this is essentially a Mixed Member Majoritarian system, a parallel voting system in which there are essentially two elections at once, one for each section of the House; this system has only been in place since 2007, when democracy was reestablished in the wake of a coup

The House is the primary legislative chamber and can remove the Prime Minister and indeed any minister, select officers, expel its own members, legislate, and pass constitutional amendments

A general election must be held at least once every four years Turnout is 47.72% The election is declared invalid by the Supreme Court on March 21,

because not everyone was able to vote on the same day; another election must be called

Moldova: Self-Determination Referendum for Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia

Gagauzia, an autonomous territory of about 160,000 people in the south of Moldova composed mainly of ethnically Gagauz, Turkic-speaking Orthodox Christians, was voting on whether it wanted closer relations with the Commonwealth of Independent States Customs Union, closer European Union integration and Gagauzia’s right to declare independence if Moldova loses or surrenders its own independence

The Moldovan government says the vote is unconstitutional 98.4% of voters want closer relations with the Commonwealth of Independent

States Customs Union 97.2% oppose closer European Union integration 98.9% support Gagauzia’s right to declare independence if Moldova “loses or

surrenders its independence” by uniting with the European Union or Romania Turnout is over 70%

Japan: Nagasaki Gubernatorial Election Nagasaki Prefecture, a prefecture of about 1,400,000 people mostly

composed of the far northwestern tip of the southwestern-most large island of Japan (Kyushu, the third-largest island in Japan, home to about 13,000,000 people), holds gubernatorial elections every four years to elect a governor

Incumbent Governor Hodo Nakamura, an independent backed by conservative populist nationalist Liberal Democratic Party, centrist politically Buddhist socially conservative New Komeito Party, and center- to- center-left socially liberal social democratic Democratic Party of Japan, wins re-election to his second term over Japanese Communist Party-backed Toshihiko Haraguchi

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Australia: Parliamentary By-Election in Griffith District

After his party won the November 2013 elections former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, center-left social democratic Labor member, stepped down from Parliament in Griffith, a district of Brisbane, a city of about 2,200,000 people on the southeastern coast of Queensland, the northeastern province, with about 4,600,000 people; the House of Representatives, which has 150 seats, now had only 54 members of Labor

Center-left social democratic Labor’s candidate Terri Butler wins 38.89%, down from 40.36%, but retains the seat as a result of having won the two-party preferred result, with 52.07%, down from 53.01%

Center-right conservative liberal agrarian Liberal National Party’s candidate Bill Glasson wins 43.87% of the vote, up from 42.22%, but loses the seat as a result of having lost the two-party preferred result, with 47.93%, up from 46.99%

Green pro-environmentalist, pro-sustainability, pro-social justice, pro-grassroots democracy and pro-nonviolence The Greens’ candidate Geoff Ebbs wins 10.03% of the vote, down from 10.18%

New pro-civil liberties, pro-copyright reform, pro-internet freedom and anti-censorship Pirate Party’s candidate Melanie Thomas wins 1.53% of the vote

Socially conservative protectionist Keynesian developmentalist Katter’s Australian Party’s candidate Ray Sawyer wins 1.02% of the vote, up from 0.69%

Economically and socially conservative Family First’s candidate Christopher Williams wins 0.95% of the vote, up from 0.74%

New independent candidate Travis Windsor wins 0.86% of the vote Anti-population growth and pro-sustainable population Australian Stable

Population Party’s candidate Timothy Lawrence wins 0.86% of the vote, up from 0.19%

New single-issue pro-fast implementation of high-speed rail Bullet Train Party’s candidate Anthony Ackroyd wins 0.77% of the vote

New independent candidate Karel Boele wins 0.68% of the vote Secular humanist party Secular Party’s candidate Anne Reid wins 0.56% of

the vote

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Switzerland Referendums The referendums included provisions to require abortion to be funded

by the mother rather than through health insurance, to end the free movement of workers between the European Union and Switzerland (introduced in 2000) by setting immigration quotas, and to finance an expand the national rail network

The abortion changes fail to pass, with 30.2% of voters approving them and 69.8% opposing them, and with 1 canton half in favor, 5 half against and 20 fully against; 55.5% of the electorate turned out for this measure

Ending the free movement of workers passed, with 50.3% of voters approving and 49.7% opposing, and with 12 cantons in favor, 5 half in favor, 1 half against and 8 fully against; 55.8% of the electorate turned out for this measure

Financing an expansion of the rail network passed, with 62.0% of voters approving and 38.0% opposing, and with 19 cantons in favor, 6 half in favor, 0 half against and 1 fully against

Japan: Tokyo Gubernatorial Election After Governor Naoki Inose, who governs the central Tokyo prefecture

of about 13,000,000 people, resigned in December 2013 in a political funds scandal, a six-candidate race began to replace him

Turnout is 46.14% Center-right- to- right-wing reactionary conservative nationalist populist

Liberal Democratic Party-backed and political Buddhist conservative New Komeito Party-backed independent candidate Yoichi Masukoe wins with 42.86% of the vote

Center-left social democratic Third Way antimilitary Social Democratic Party-backed, left-wing Marxist eurocommunist pacifist scientific socialist Japanese Communist Party-backed, and environmentalist anti-Trans-Pacific Partnership anti-nuclear Greens Japan-backed independent Kenji Utsunomiya wins 19.93% of the vote

Center- to- center-left Democratic Party of Japan-backed, pragmatist localist environmentalist anti-Trans-Pacific Partnership and anti-nuclear People’s Life Party-backed, and center-right- to- right-wing nationalist conservative anti-communist, paleoconservative Unity Party-backed independent Morihiro Hosokawa wins 19.39% of the vote

Far-right-wing nationalist Restoration Political Party/New Wind-backed independent Toshio Tamogami wins 12.39% of the vote

Independent Kazuma Ieiri wins 1.80% of the vote Independent Yoshiro Nakamatsu wins 1.31% of the vote

Thursday, February 13, 2014

United Kingdom: Wythenshawe and Sale East House of Commons By-election Following the death on January 7 of Labour Member of Parliament Paul

Goggins from a brain haemorrhage, who served as one of 256 of 650 center-left Labour Members of Parliament in the House of Commons, as opposed to 303 of 650 from the soft eurosceptic unionist conservative monarchist Conservative Party, 56 of 650 from the centrist- to- center-left socially liberal environmentalist pro-human rights, pro-banking reform and pro-civil liberties Liberal Democratic Party, 8 of 650 from the unionist nationalist conservative right-wing populist eurosceptic Democratic Unionist Party, 5 of 650 from the social democratic civic nationalist pro-Scottish independence, Scottish nationalist Scottish National Party, 5 of 650 from left-wing democratic socialist Irish republicanist Sein Féin, 3 of 650 from center-left to left-wing democratic socialist environmentalist civic nationalist Welsh nationalist, pro-Welsh independence Plaid Cymru, 3 of 650 from center-left social democratic Irish republicanist Social Democratic and Labour Party, 1 of 650 from liberal non-sectarian Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, 1 of 650 from green environmentalist eco-socialist eurosceptic Green Party of England and Wales, 1 of 650 from far-left anti-imperialist democratic socialist eco-socialist environmentalist trade unionist Respect Party, 5 of 650 independents and 4 of 650 nonpartisan Speaker and Deputies, representing the Wythenshawe and Sale East constituency of about 85,000 people, located in Manchester, a city of about 503,000 people central northwestern England, a first-past-the-post single-constituency by-election is held to replace him

The election is won by center-left Labour candidate Mike Kane, with 55.3% of the vote, up from 44.1%, helping Labour to retain 256 of 650 seats in the House of Commons

Eurosceptic right-wing populist libertarian United Kingdom Independence Party’s candidate John Bickley wins 18% of the vote, up from 3.5%

Soft eurosceptic unionist conservative monarchist Conservative Party candidate Reverend Daniel Critchlow wins 14.5% of the vote, down from 25.5%

Centrist- to- center-left socially liberal environmentalist pro-human rights, pro-banking reform and pro-civil liberties Liberal Democratic Party candidate Mary di Mauro wins 4.9% of the vote, down from 22.3%

Green environmentalist eco-socialist eurosceptic Green Party of England and Wales candidate Nigel Woodwock wins 3.1% of the vote, the first time it has contested an election in this constituency

Far-right fascist right-wing populist white nationalist eurosceptic British National Party wins 3.0% of the vote, down from 3.9%

Satirical existentialist Official Monster Raving Loony Party candidate Captain Chaplington-Smythe wins 1.2% of the vote, the first time it has contested an election in this constituency

Canada: Ontario Provincial Parliamentary By-Elections in Niagara Falls and Thornhill Districts

Ontario, whose unicameral Legislative Assembly of 107 seats went into elections with 50 members of the center-left Liberal Party and 20 members of the center-left social democratic New Democratic Party in power and with 37 of 107 members of the center-right progressive conservative economically liberal neoliberal Progressive Conservative Party in opposition, held by-elections in the central far southern electoral district of Niagara Falls, with a population of about 129,000 people and a Liberal incumbent, Kim Craitor, who had just resigned, as well as in the central northern electoral district of Thornhill, with a population of about 140,000 people and a Progressive Conservative incumbent, Peter Shurman, who had just resigned

Candidates are elected in first-past-the-post single-member constituencies every four years; the next election is in 2015

In Niagara Falls: o Center-left social democratic New Democratic Party’s candidate

Wayne Gates wins 39.44% of the vote, up from 26.30%, increasing the New Democratic Party’s number of seats to 21 of 107 and decreasing the Liberal Party’s number of seats to 49 of 107

o Center-right progressive conservative economically liberal neoliberal Progressive Conservative Party’s candidate Bart Maves wins 36.83% of the vote, up from 34.83%

o Center-left Liberal Party’s candidate Joyce Morocco wins 19.39% of the vote, down from 35.89%

o Green Party’s candidate Clarke Bitter wins 2.73% of the vote, up from 1.62%

o Independent candidate Tim Tredwell wins 0.61% of the vote, up from 0.37%

o Libertarian candidate Stefanos Karatopis wins 0.43% of the vote, down from 0.46%

o Liberal left-wing populist fiscally pro-empathy People’s Political Party’s candidate Troy Young wins 0.29% of the vote

o Laissez-faire libertarian Freedom Party’s candidate Andrew Brannan wins 0.28% of the vote

In Thornhill: o Center-right progressive conservative economically liberal

neoliberal Progressive Conservative Party’s candidate Gila Martow wins 47.96% of the vote, up from 46.71%, keeping the Progressive Conservative Party’s number of seats at 37 of 107

o Center-left Liberal Party’s candidate Sandra Yeung Racco wins 41.50% of the vote, up from 40.92%

o Center-left social democratic New Democratic Party’s candidate Cindy Hackelberg wins 6.79% of the vote, down from 8.97%

o Green Party’s candidate Teresa Pun wins 1.44% of the vote, down from 1.69%

o Libertarian candidate Gene Balfour wins 1.06% of the vote, down from 1.39%

o Laissez-faire libertarian Freedom Party wins 0.56% of the vote, up from 0.33%

o Liberal left-wing populist fiscally pro-empathy People’s Political Party’s candidate Kevin Clarke wins 0.52% of the vote

o “Social credit libertarian” pro-legalizing gambling and marijuana and pro-monetary reform Pauper Party’s candidate John Turmel wins 0.18% of the vote

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Italy: Sardinia Regional Election In Sardinia, an autonomous region of about 1,600,000 people, executive

power is exercised by the Regional Government of the President of Sardinia, led by the President and composed of him/her and hir 12 Ministers, and legislative power is exercised by the government and the Regional Council of Sardinia, each of which is composed of 60 members and is elected every five years (unless the President allows a vote of no confidence, resigns or dies, none of which has happened)

Sardinia is one of five autonomous regions of Italy, which means it has to provide most of its own health care, schools and public infrastructure

The President, who appoints his or her Ministers, is directly elected, while the Legislature is elected through a complicated process in which the largest coalition obtains the majority of the 60 seats

Francesco Pigliaru, a candidate of the center-left social democratic Christian left Democratic Party, wins the presidential election with 42.5% of the vote, down from 42.9%, and the support of the center-left coalition, which takes power by winning 36 of 60 seats, up from 26 of 70

o With 22.1% of the vote, down from 24.8%, the center-left social democratic Christian left Democratic Party wins 19 of 60 seats, up from 18 of 70

o With 5.2% of the vote, the new left-wing democratic socialist eco-socialist Left Ecology Freedom Party wins 4 of 60 seats

o With 2.7% of the vote, the new social democratic separatist Party of Sardinians wins 2 of 60 seats

o With 2.6% of the vote, up from the 2.5% it won in coalition with the green pacifistic anti-globalization eco-socialist Federation of the Greens in 2009, the regionalist social democratic Red Moors Party wins 2 of 60 seats, up from the 1 of 70 it won in coalition with the green pacifistic anti-globalization eco-socialist Federation of the Greens in 2009

o With 2.1% of the vote, the new centrist socially liberal Democratic Centre wins 2 of 60 seats

o With 2.0% of the vote, down from 5.1%, the far-left Communist Refoundation Party/left-wing Party of Italian Communists coalition wins 2 of 60 seats, down from 3

o With 1.7% of the vote, the new Christian democratic Christian Popular Union wins 1 of 60 seats

o With 1.4% of the vote, down from 2.3%, the new Italian Socialist Party wins 1 of 60 seats, up from 0 of 70, since it is now in coalition with other left-wing parties, unlike in 2009

o With 1.1% of the vote, down from the 2.5% it won in coalition with the social democratic Red Moors in 2009, centrist populist anti-corruption Italy of Values/green pacifist anti-globalization eco-socialist Federation of the Greens coalition wins 1 of 60 seats, up from the 1 of 70 it won in coalition with the social democratic Red Moors in 2009

o With 0.8% of the vote, down from 2.1%, Sardinian nationalist separatist pacifist left-libertarian social democratic Independence Republic of Sardinia party wins 1 of 60 seats, up from 0 of 70

o With 0.7% of the vote, the new The Base Sardinia party wins 1 of 60 seats

Ugo Cappellacci, a candidate of the liberal conservative Christian democratic Forza Italia party, wins 39.7% of the vote in the presidential election, down from 51.9%, and receives the support of the center-right coalition, which takes power by winning 24 of 60 seats, down from 44 of 70

o With 18.5% of the vote, down from 30.2%, the liberal conservative Christian democratic Forza Italia wins 11 of 60 seats, down from 25 of 70

o With 7.6% of the vote, down from 9.0%, the Christian democratic socially conservative Union of the Centre wins 4 of 60 seats, down from 7 of 70

o With 6.0% of the vote, down from 6.8%, the centrist regionalist liberal Christian democratic Sardinian Reformers wins 3 of 60 seats, down from 5 of 70

o With 4.7% of the vote, up from 4.3%, social democratic Sardinian nationalist regionalist socially liberal Sardinian Action Party wins 2 of 60 seats, down from 4 of 70

o With 2.8% of the vote, the new nationalist conservative Brothers of Italy party wins 2 of 60 seats

o With 2.6% of the vote, down from the 3.5% it won in 2009 in coalition with the Third Way social democratic New Italian Socialist Party, the regionalist Christian democratic Sardinian Democratic Union wins 1 of 60 seats, down from the 2 of 70 seats it won in coalition with the Third Way social democratic New Italian Socialist Party

o With 1.6% of the vote, the new Sardinia Free Zone Movement party wins 1 of 60 seats

Michela Murgia, a candidate of the new pro-independence social democratic Project Republic of Sardinia, wins 10.3% of the vote in the presidential election

o With 2.8% of the vote, the new pro-independence social democratic Project Republic of Sardinia wins 0 of 60 seats

o With 2.2% of the vote, the new pro-independence social democratic People party wins 0 of 60 seats

o With 1.8% of the vote, the new pro-independence social democratic Communities party wins 0 of 60 seats

Mauro Pili, a candidate of the new United party, wins 5.7% of the vote in the presidential election

o With 2.8% of the vote, the new United party wins 0 of 60 seatso With 1.7% of the vote, the Pili President party wins 0 of 60 seatso With 0.7% of the vote, down from the 2.3% it won in 2009 when in

coalition with the regionalist autonomist Christian democratic Movement for Autonomies and the nationalist conservative neo-fascist right-wing populist The Right, the liberal social democratic federalist Christian democratic Sardinian People’s Party wins 0 of 60 seats

o With 0.2% of the vote, the new Sovereignty party wins 0 of 60 seats Pier Franco Devias, a candidate of the new United Independentist Front, wins

1.0% of the vote in the presidential electiono With 0.7% of the vote, the new United Independentist Front wins 0 of

60 seats Luigi Sanna, a candidate of the new Free Zone Movement party, wins 0.8% of

the vote in the presidential electiono With 0.7% of the vote, the new Free Zone Movement party wins 0 of

60 seats

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Libyan Constitutional Assembly Elections At stake are the 60 seats of the body that is to serve parallel to the

General National Congress, drafting a new constitution for Libya; political parties are not represented among the candidates, the body is to be based in Bayda, the fourth-largest city in Libya, a coastal city of about 250,000 people some 150 or so miles from the Egyptian border, and to consist of 20 representatives from each of Libya’s three regions, Fezzan (the south), Tripolitana (the northwest) and Cyrenaica (the northeast), including two from the Tuaregs, two from the Berbers, two from the Toubous and six women

Turnout is about 45% of the one-third of the electorate that bothered to register to vote

11 seats remain vacant because violence disrupted the proceedings, and the two Berber seats remain vacant due to boycotts

The election is nonpartisan, so no party results can be reported

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Australia: Queensland Legislative Assembly State By-Election in Redcliffe District In Redcliffe, a constituency of about 55,000 people on the central

eastern coast of Queensland, a state of about 5,000,000 people, a by-election takes place for its parliamentary constituency in the Queensland Legislative Assembly, a unicameral chamber of 89 Members of Parliament, each of whom are elected every three years, which will next happen in 2015

Before the election, the Assembly contained 74 members of the conservative liberal agrarian Liberal National Party, 7 members of the center-left Labor Party, 3 members of the socially conservative protectionist Keynesian developmentalist Katter’s Australian Party, 2 members of the center-right Palmer United Party and 2 independents; Redcliffe was held by the Liberal National Party

The election is held because the Liberal National Party incumbent Scott Driscoll resigned in November 2013 due to allegations of financial corruption

Center-left Labor Party’s candidate Yvette D’Ath wins 43.6% of the vote, up from 30.7%, and 56.4% of the two-party-preferred result, up from 39.9%, winning the election and giving the Labor Party 8 of 89 seats, up from 7, while reducing the Liberal National Party to 73 of 89 seats, down from 74

Conservative liberal agrarian Liberal National Party’s candidate Kerri-Anne Dooley wins 35.1% of the vote, down from 49.2%, and 43.6% of the two-party-preferred result, down from 60.1%

Independent candidate Len Thomas, running for the first time, wins 10.6% of the vote

Greens candidate John Marshall wins 4.0% of the vote, down from 6.7% Economically and socially conservative Family First Party’s candidate Sally

Vincent wins 2.5% of the vote, down from 4.6% Independent candidate Talosaga McMahon, running for the first time, wins

1.3% of the vote Independent candidate Liz Woollard, running for the first time, wins 1.2% of

the vote Independent candidate Gabriel Buckley, running for the first time, wins 1.0%

of the vote Independent candidate Andrew Tyrerell, running for the first time, wins 0.7%

of the vote

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Ecuador: Local Elections Ecuador, an unstable democracy of about 16,000,000 people, elects 46

prefects and vice prefects, 221 mayors, 438 rural councilors, 867 urban councilors and 4,079 parish members

The state has a multi-party system, so the local elections are not polarized between opposing camps, but that polarization is present in the capital, Quito, home to about 2,250,000 people and located in the central northern part of the country, and the largest city, Guayaquil, home to about 2,400,000 people and located on the central southern part of the country’s coast in a deep gulf

The conservative centrist opposition takes control of five of Ecuador’s largest metropolitan areas, including Quito, Cuenca, the country’s third-largest city, home to about 340,000 people and located in the central southern part of the country, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, a northwestern central province of about 375,000 people, Manta, a city of about 225,000 people on the central part of the country’s coastline, and Guayaquil

The PAIS Alliance, the left-wing socialist party currently in control of the country’s unicameral legislature and presidency, loses control of all of these areas, but wins a majority of mayoralties

The PAIS Alliance loses the mayoral races in 9 of Ecuador’s ten most populous cities and wins only 9 of 24 provincial prefects, with the conservative United Society of More Action (SUMA) winning the most mayoral seats in the country’s 24 provincial capital cities

Both Quito and Guayaquii elect conservative candidates by a margin of roughly 20%

Japan: Yamaguchi Gubernatorial Election Yamaguchi Prefecture, a prefecture of about 1,440,000 people mostly

composed of the far western tip of the main island of Japan (Honshu, home to about 100,000,000 people), holds gubernatorial elections every four years to elect a governor

Shigetaro Yamamoto, the incumbent, is retiring, so there is no incumbent in the race

The race is focused on the national plan to build Japan’s first new nuclear power plant in years in the prefecture, and on the planned transfer of Okinawa-based refueling tankers to the prefecture

Former bureaucrat Tsugumasa Muraoka, an independent who is backed by the conservative populist nationalist Liberal Democratic Party and the centrist politically Buddhist socially conservative New Komeito Party, and who is ambivalent on nuclear issues, wins the election with 63.89% of the vote

Former House of Representatives member Tsutomu Takamura, an independent who is backed by the Japanese Communist Party and who is an anti-nuclear candidate, wins 25.77% of the vote

Former member of a city assembly Naoko Fujii, an independent who is backed by the pragmatist localist environmentalist anti-Trans-Pacific Partnership and anti-nuclear People’s Life Party, and who is an anti-nuclear candidate, wins 10.34% of the vote

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Second Round of Thailand Parliamentary Elections Five of the 17 provinces that failed to hold successful elections on

February 2 manage to do so today. Protesters prevent election booths in the other 12 provinces from opening, and elections were scheduled to take place there in April until the entire election was declared invalid by the Supreme Court

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Colombian Legislative Election Colombia, a state of about 47,400,000 people and a longtime democracy

that most recently created a constitution in 1991, holds legislative elections every four years, with the 162 members of its lower house, the Chamber of Representatives and the 102 members of its upper house, the Senate of the Republic, elected by proportional representation

The Chamber of Representatives has the power to elect the head of the Ombudsman’s Office, examine the budget and treasury audit, indict for impeachment the President, justices, magistrates and the Attorney General, recommend impeachment if warranted and request the aid of other authorities to pursue further investigations, and initiate and pass laws, as long as they are also approved by the Senate and signed by the President

The Senate of the Republic has the power to approve or reject presidential or vice-presidential resignations, approve or reject military promotions, grant or deny leaves of absence for the President, allow foreign troops to travel through Colombia, authorize a declaration of war, elect Constitutional Court justices and the Attorney General, and initiate and pass laws, as long as they are also approved by the Chamber of Representatives and signed by the President

In the Senate of the Republic: o The Third Way liberal conservative Party of the U, the current

governing coalition leader, wins 21 of 102 seats, down from 28, and 15.6% of the vote, down from 25.8%

o The new big tent, officially centrist, pro-democratic security and law and order politics Democratic Center wins 19 of 102 seats and 21.2% of the vote, becoming the leading opposition party

o The center-right conservative Colombian Conservative Party, a current governing coalition member, wins 19 of 102 seats, down from 22, and 13.6% of the vote, down from 16.3%

o The centrist- to- center-left liberal social democratic Colombian Liberal Party, a current governing coalition member, wins 17 of 102 seats, as in the last election, and 16.3% of the vote, as in the last election

o The leftist Radical Change party, a current governing coalition member, wins 9 of 102 seats, up from 8, and 8.2% of the vote, as in the last election

o The centrist environmentalist pro-nonviolence, pro-participatory politics and pro-democratic security Green Party, a current governing coalition member, wins 5 of 102 seats, as in the last election, and 3.9% of the vote, down from 4.9%

o The leftist- to- center-left social democratic Alternative Democratic Pole wins 5 of 102 seats, down from 8, and 3.8% of the vote, down from 7.8%

o The far-right National Integration Party wins 5 of 102 seats, down from 9, and 3.7% of the vote, down from 8.4%

In the Chamber of Representatives:

o The Third Way liberal conservative Party of the U, the current governing coalition leader, wins 39 of 164 seats, down from 47, and 16.1% of the vote, down from 25.9%

o The centrist- to- center-left liberal social democratic Colombian Liberal Party, a current governing coalition member, wins 37 of 164 seats, as in the last election, and 14.1% of the vote, down from 19.3%

o The center-right conservative Colombian Conservative Party, a current governing coalition member, wins 27 of 164 seats, down from 38, and 13.2% of the vote, down from 21.4%

o The leftist Radical Change party, a current governing coalition member, wins 15 of 164 seats, as in the last election, and 7.7% of the vote, as in the last election

o The new big tent, officially centrist, pro-democratic security and law and order politics Democratic Center wins 12 of 164 seats and 9.5% of the vote, becoming the leading opposition party

o The centrist environmentalist pro-nonviolence, pro-participatory politics and pro-democratic security Green Party, a current governing coalition member, wins 6 of 164 seats, up from 3, and 3.9% of the vote, up from 3.0%

o The far-right National Integration Party wins 6 of 164 seats, down from 12, and 3.3% of the vote, down from 7.4%

o The leftist- to- center-left social democratic Alternative Democratic Pole wins 3 of 164 seats, down from 4, and 2.9%, down from 5.9%

o The anti-euthanasia, anti-abortion, anti-same sex marriage, pacifistic, non-left- or- right-wing Independent Movement of Absolute Renovation wins 3 of 164 seats, as in the last election, and 2.9% of the vote, down from 3.0%

o The new For a Better Huila party wins 1 of 164 seats and 0.5% of the vote

o The progressive pro-indigenous people’s rights Indigenous Social Alliance Movement wins 1 of 164 seats, as in the last election, and 0.3% of the vote, down from 1.9%

o The Regional Integration party wins 1 of 164 seats, as in the last election, and 0.03% of the vote, down from 0.1%

Second Round of El Salvadoran Presidential Election El Salvador, a state of about 6,200,000 people and an unstable

democracy more or less at peace since 1992, holds presidential elections every five years; re-election is not permitted, and if an absolute majority is not achieved in the first round of an election, such as happened on February 2, a run-off election like this is called between the top two candidates

This is the first election during which Salvadorans living abroad can vote, with about 200,000 eligible

The current party in power is the leftist- to- center-left progressive social democratic Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front

The two politicians competing are the leftist- to- center-left progressive social democratic Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front’s candidate, Salvador Sánchez Cerén, who won 48.93%, down from the 51.32% his party won in 2009, and the conservative nationalist neoliberal Nationalist Republican Alliance’s candidate, Norman Quijano, who won 38.96%, down from 48.68%

The leftist- to- center-left progressive social democratic Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front’s candidate, Salvador Sánchez Cerén, wins a very narrow victory with 50.11% of the vote

North Korean Parliamentary Elections Today North Korea holds one of the sham elections for the Supreme

People’s Assembly, which it holds every five years, in which only one candidate, always from the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland, is allowed to run for office in each of its 687 constituencies; a voter may cross off the candidate’s name to vote against him or her, but must do so in a special booth without any secrecy

The Assembly delegates authority to the smaller and more powerful Presidium, the highest organ of power, which exercises legislative power when the Supreme People’s Assembly is in recess, which it is for all but a few days each year, and which is headed by Kim Yong-nam, its current President

The last election produced 606 of 687 representatives from the socialist Juche idealist (meaning it believes that the Korean people are the master’s of the country’s development) Workers’ Party of Korea, the ruling political party, 51 of 687 representatives from the democratic socialist Korean Social Democratic Party, 22 of 687 representatives from the utopian pro-peasant pseudo-religious nationalist Chondoist Chongu Party, 6 of 687 from North Korea’s de facto embassy in Japan, the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, and 3 of 687 representatives who are listed as independents; in reality, all members are completely subservient to the Worker’s Party of Korea and their alleged ideologies are meaningless

This time the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland is announced to have received 100% of the vote, with a 99.97% turnout

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

United States of America: United States House of Representatives Special Election for Florida’s 13 th Congressional District

Following the death of incumbent Republican Bill Young in October 2013, an election was held to replace him in the unusually competitive 13th congressional district of Florida, located on the central western part of the state’s coast

The election was won by a Republican attorney and former general counsel to Bill Young, David Jolly, who took 48.43% of the vote

Former CFO of Florida and 2010 gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink took 46.55% of the vote

Libertarian, commercial diver and activist Lucas Overby took 4.83% of the vote

Write-in candidates took 0.18% of the vote

Saturday, March 15, 2014

First Round of Slovakian Presidential Election

Slovakia, a country of about 5,400,000 people, holds presidential elections every five years, with the presidency a largely ceremonial role, though the President is commander-in-chief, appoints the prime minister, three judges of the constitutional court and three members of the judicial council, appoints ministers on the recommendation of the prime minister, can grant parole on the recommendation of the minister of justice, and can veto non-constitutional bills, though this veto can be overridden by a majority of the National Council

The incumbent president, Ivan Gašparovič of the social democratic Direction – Social Democracy party, has served two terms and cannot run again

Robert Fico, current Prime Minister and member of the incumbent social democratic Direction – Social Democracy party, wins 28% of the vote, down from the 46.71% his party’s candidate won in the first round of the last presidential election, winning the right to move on to the second round of the election

Andrej Kiska, an independent philanthropist and former businessman, wins 24% of the vote, winning the right to move on to the second round of the election

Radoslav Procházka, an independent constitutional lawyer, wins 21.2% of the vote

Milan Kňažko, an independent actor and a leader of the Velvet Revolution, in which Czechoslovakia peacefully dissolved into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, wins 12.9% of the vote

Gyula Bárdos, a member of the liberal conservative Christian democratic pro-Hungarian minority Party of the Hungarian Coalition, wins 5.1% of the vote

Pavol Hrušovský, a member of the center-right socially conservative Christian Democratic Movement, wins 3.3% of the vote

Helena Mezenská, a member of the conservative liberal Ordinary People and Independent Personalities, wins 2.4% of the vote

Ján Jurišta, a member of the Communist Party, wins 0.6% of the vote Ján Čarnogurský, a former chair of the center-right socially conservative

Christian Democratic Movement, wins 0.6% of the vote Villiam Fischer, an independent cardiovascular surgeon, wins 0.5% of the

vote Jozef Behýl, an independent businessman and civil activist, wins 0.5% of the

vote

Milan Melník, an independent scientist in coordination and bioinorganic chemistry, wins 0.4% of the vote

Jozef Šimko, an independent mayor, wins 0.2% of the vote Stanislav Martinčko, an independent businessman and chair of the Coalition

of Citizens of Slovakia, wins 0.1% of the vote

Australia: South Australian Parliamentary Elections South Australia, a state of about 1,650,000 people, holds parliamentary

elections every four years, with instant-runoff voting, a preferential voting system in which voters rank candidates in order of preference, used for the lower house, the House of Assembly, and the single transferable vote, a voting system used to achieve proportional representation through ranked voting in multi-seat constituencies, used for the upper house, the Legislative Council

11 of the 22 members of the Legislative Council, and all 47 of the members of the House of Assembly, are elected every four years

In the House of Assembly: o The social democratic Labor Party wins 23 of 47 seats, down from

26, and 35.3% of the vote, down from 37.5%, and controls the House as at least one independent agrees to caucus with them

o The conservative liberal Liberal Party wins 22 of 47 seats, up from 18, with 45.1% of the vote, up from 41.6%

o Independents win 2 of 47 seats, down from 3, with 3.6% of the vote, up from 3.1%

o The socially progressive Greens win 9.0% of the vote, up from 8.1%, and 0 of 47 seats, as in the last election

o The environmentally and socially conservative, pro-family values Family First Party wins 6.3% of the vote, up from 5.3%, and 0 of 47 seats, as in the last election

o Other parties win 0.7% of the vote, down from 4%, and 0 of 47 seats, as in the last election

In the Legislative Council: o The conservative liberal Liberal Party wins 4 of 11 seats up for

grabs, giving it 8 of 22 seats, up from 7, with 36.1% of the vote, down from 39.4%

o The social democratic Australian Labor Party wins 4 of 11 seats up for grabs, giving it 8 of 22 seats, as before, with 30.9% of the vote, down from 37.3%

o The socially progressive Greens win 1 of 11 seats up for grabs, giving them 2 of 22 seats, as before, with 6.4% of the vote, down from 6.6%

o The environmentally and socially conservative, pro-family values Family First Party wins 1 of 11 seats up for grabs, giving it 2 of 22 seats, as before, with 4.4% of the vote, as in the last election

o The anti-gambling Nick Xenophon Team wins 1 of 11 seats up for grabs, giving it 1 of 22 seats, down from 2, with 12.9% of the vote, up from 0%

o The Dignity for Disability party wins 0 of 11 seats up for grabs, giving it 1 of 22 seats, as before, with 0.9% of the vote, down from 1.2%

o Other parties win 0 of 11 seats up for grabs, giving them 0 of 22 seats, as before, with 9.7% of the vote, down from 12.4%

Australia: Tasmanian Parliamentary Elections Tasmania, a state of about 500,000 people, holds elections for the 25

members of the lower house, the House of Assembly, every four years, using the proportional Hare-Clark system, which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference and divides the island into five constituencies of five members each, within which candidates are elected proportionately

The conservative liberal Liberal Party wins 15 of 25 seats, up from 10, and 51.3% of the vote, up from 39%

The social democratic Labor Party wins 7 of 25 seats, down from 10, and 27.3% of the vote, down from 36.8%

The socially progressive Greens win 3 of 25 seats, down from 5, and 13.8% of the vote, down from 21.6%

The new center-right Palmer United party wins 0 of 25 seats and 5.0% of the vote

The new-to-Tasmania conservative agrarian National Party wins 0 of 25 seats and 0.8% of the vote

The new pro-Christian values Australian Christians win 0 of 25 seats and 0.4% of the vote

The far-left anti-capitalist ecosocialist environmentalist Socialist Alliance wins 0 of 25 seats, as in the last election, and 0.2% of the vote, as in the last election

Independent candidates win 0 of 25 seats, as in the last election, and 1.3% of the vote, down from 2.4%

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Serbian Parliamentary Elections Serbia, a country of about 7,000,000 people, is governed by a National

Assembly of 250 proportionally elected deputies, who are elected every four years unless a snap election is called, which it was in this case; the last election was on May 6, 2012

The conservative pro-European Serbian Progressive Party coalition wins 158 of 250 seats, up from 87, and 48.34% of the vote, up from 24.05%

The socialist center-left to- left-wing Socialist Party coalition wins 44 of 250 seats, up from 43, and 13.51% of the vote, down from 14.51%

The social democratic, socially liberal, Third Way pro-European Democratic Party wins 19 of 250 seats, up from 51, and 6.04% of the vote, down from 22.07%

The new social democratic and generally green New Democratic Party wins 18 of 250 seats and 5.71% of the vote

The liberal conservative regionalist pro-minority rights Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians wins 6 of 250 seats, up from 5, and 2.11% of the vote, up from 1.75%

The pro-Bosniak minority Party of Democratic Action of Sandžak wins 3 of 250 seats, up from 2, and 0.95% of the vote, up from 0.69%

The pro-Albanian minority and regionalist Party for Democratic Action wins 2 of 250 seats, up from 1, and 0.68% of the vote, up from 0.30%

Serbia: Belgrade Local Election

Belgrade, the capital and largest city of Serbia, which is located in the central northern part of the country and has a population of about 1,250,000 people, is governed by the City Assembly of Belgrade, which has 110 seats; this particular election was a snap election as a result of a major decline in support for the social democratic, socially liberal, Third Way pro-European Democratic Party and the fracturing of its governing coalition; because of this snap election, the country’s national government also decided to go for a snap election

The conservative pro-European Serbian Progressive Party wins 63 of 110 seats, up from 37, and 43.62% of the vote, up from 35.72%

The social democratic, socially liberal, Third Way pro-European Democratic Party wins 22 of 110 seats, down from 50, and 15.7% of the vote, down from 35.18%

The socialist center-left- to- left-wing Socialist Party wins 16 of 110 seats, up from 13, and 11.49%, up from 9.14%

The nationalist conservative eurorealist eurosceptic Christian democratic Democratic Party of Serbia wins 9 of 110 seats, down from 10, and 6.39%, down from 7.46%

Ukraine: Crimean Referendum After Russia occupied Crimea in the wake of the Maidan Revolution, it

forced through a referendum in the province over whether the island wanted to join Russia or remain within Ukraine under greater autonomy; the referendum was conducted under great duress and many Tatars and others boycotted it; turnout was reported to be 83.1%

96.77% of all voters voted to join Russia 2.51% of all voters voted for greater autonomy within Ukraine 0.72% of votes were declared invalid

Japan: Ishikawa Gubernatorial Election Incumbent governor Masanori Tanimoto ran for his sixth consecutive

four-year term as head of Ishikawa Prefecture, located on the northern coast of the central part of the main island, Honshū, and home to about 1,150,000 people; winning, he became the longest-serving governor in Japan

Masanori Tanimoto, an independent supported by the Third Way center-left Social Democratic Party, wins

He was opposed by Yoshinobu Kimura, an independent and a member of a citizens’ group backed by the Japanese Communist Party

He was also opposed by Yuichiro Kawa, a former prefectural assembly member

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Netherlands: Municipal Elections Municipal elections are held every four years in the Netherlands, a

country of about 16,800,000 people; 23 municipalities were recently amalgamated or preparing to be amalgamated in the near future, and these did not see elections this month, but the rest did

Local parties win 30% of the vote, up from 24% In Amsterdam, the capital city of about 810,000 people, located on the

central part of the country’s northwest coast: o The liberal, socially liberal centrist Democrats 66 party wins 14 of

the city’s 44 municipal council seatso The Third Way social democratic Labour Party wins 10 of the

city’s 44 municipal council seats, losing its majority on the council

o The conservative liberal economically liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy wins 6 of the city’s 44 municipal council seats

o The Socialist Party wins 6 of the city’s 44 municipal council seatso The progressive green liberal GreenLeft party wins 6 of the city’s

44 municipal council seatso The conservative Christian democratic Christian Democratic Appeal

wins 1 of the city’s 44 municipal council seatso A local party wins 1 of the city’s 44 municipal council seats

In Rotterdam, the country’s second-largest city, with about 620,000 people, located on the central southern part of the country’s coast:

o Local parties win 16 of the city’s 45 municipal council seatso The Third Way social democratic Labour Party wins 8 of the city’s

45 municipal council seats

o The liberal, socially liberal centrist Democrats 66 party wins 6 of the city’s 45 municipal council seats

o The Socialist Party wins 5 of the city’s 45 municipal council seatso The conservative liberal economically liberal People’s Party for

Freedom and Democracy wins 3 of the city’s 45 municipal council seats

o The conservative Christian democratic Christian Democratic Appeal wins 3 of the city’s 45 municipal council seats

o The progressive green liberal GreenLeft party wins 2 of the city’s 45 municipal council seats

o Other parties win 2 of the city’s 45 municipal council seats In The Hague, the country’s third-largest city and home to its government,

with about 510,000 people, located on the northern part of the southern third of the country’s western coast:

o Local parties win 10 of the city’s 42 municipal council seatso The Third Way social democratic Democrats 66 party wins 8 of the

city’s 42 municipal council seatso The nationalist conservative liberal radical right-wing populist

anti-Islam eurosceptic Party for Freedom wins 7 of the city’s 42 municipal council seats

o The Third Way social democratic Labour Party wins 6 of the city’s 42 municipal council seats

o The conservative liberal economically liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy wins 4 of the city’s 42 municipal council seats

o The conservative Christian democratic Christian Democratic Appeal wins 3 of the city’s 42 municipal council seats

o The Socialist Party wins 2 of the city’s 42 municipal council seatso The progressive green liberal GreenLeft party wins 2 of the city’s 42

municipal council seats In Utrecht, the country’s fourth-largest city, with about 330,000 people,

located in the western part of the center of the country: o The Third Way social democratic Democrats 66 party wins 13 of

the city’s 45 municipal council seatso The progressive green liberal GreenLeft party wins 9 of the city’s

45 municipal council seats

o The conservative liberal economically liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy wins 5 of the city’s 45 municipal council seats

o The Third Way social democratic Labour Party wins 5 of the city’s 45 municipal council seats

o The Socialist Party wins 4 of the city’s 45 municipal council seatso The conservative Christian democratic Christian Democratic

Appeal wins 3 of the city’s 45 municipal council seatso Local parties win 3 of the city’s 45 municipal council seatso Other parties win 3 of the city’s 45 municipal council seats

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Maldives Parliamentary Elections The Maldives, a country of about 330,000 people, has a unicameral

legislature known as the Majlis with 85 members elected every five years; the legislature has been multiparty since the last election, in 2009

The election is won by the following coalition partners: o The newly formed democratic Islamism party Progressive Party of

Maldives, which wins 34 of 85 seats, up from 18 of 77, with 40% of the vote

o The newly formed Jumhooree Party, which wins 16 of 85 seats, up from 6 of 77, with 18.8% of the vote

o The Maldives Development Alliance, which wins 5 of 85 seats, up from 0 of 77, with 5.9% of the vote

The democratic liberal, socially liberal, conservative liberal pro-equal rights Maldivian Democratic Party wins 24 of 85 seats, down from 29 of 77, with 28.2% of the vote, down from 30.81%

5 of 85 seats are won by independents, down from 13, with 5.9% of the vote, down from 30%

The Sunni Islamist, Islamist democratic Adhaalath Party wins 1 of 85 seats, up from 0, and 1.2% of the vote, up from 0.90%

Sunday, March 23, 2014

France: First Round of Municipal Elections

France, a country of about 67,000,000 people, is holding local elections to choose councilors and mayors in over 36,000 villages, towns and cities

The center-right liberal conservative Christian democratic Union for a Popular Movement and its allies win 47% of the vote nationwide

The center-left Socialist Party wins 38% of the vote nationwide The National Front wins 5% of the vote nationwide, up from 0.9% Communists win 2.12%, down from 2.62% The far right wins 1.7%, up from 1.05% The centrist liberal pro-European Christian democratic socially liberal

Democratic Movement wins 1.27%, down from 3.7% Greens win 0.24%, down from 1.19% The far left wins 0.11%, down from 1.79% In Henin-Beaumont, a traditionally leftist town of about 26,100 people

near the Belgian border and the Atlantic, the anti-immigration National Front takes 50.26% of the vote, giving it its first chance to run a town in over a decade

In Avignon, a city of about 95,000 people near the central part of France’s south coast, and Perpignan, a city of about 120,000 people on the southern coast near Spain’s border, National Front candidates for mayor win a plurality of the vote

In about 200 places National Front candidates win at least 10% of the vote, giving them enough support to break through to the second round of voting

Turnout is at a record low of 38%

Belarus: Municipal Elections Elections in Belarus, a country of about 9,400,000 people, are largely an

administrative formality, though the opposition has some ability to campaign and some opposition candidates are allowed to win if the administration deems it safe; district election commissions reject candidacies they deem unsafe

Local Councils of Deputies are elected by citizens for a four-year term; constituencies are formed proportionately to the population; 40-60 constituencies are set up for regional Council of Deputies and the Minsk City Council of Deputies; 25-40 constituencies are set up for district and town Councils of Deputies; 15-25 constituencies are set up for town Councils of Deputies; 11-15 constituencies are set up for township and village Councils of Deputies

Malaysia: Kajang By-Election in Selangor State Selangor State, a state of about 5,400,000 people on the central western

coast of the Malay peninsula, has a unicameral legislature of 56 legislators, 43 of whom currently belong to the socially liberal Islamist social democratic Pakatan Rakyat party, which is in opposition at the national level, 12 of whom currently belong to the conservative Barisan Nasional, which is in power at the national level, and one of which is vacant after Pakatan Rakyat member Lee Chin Cheh resigned on January 27th; the by-election is to replace him

The socially liberal Islamist social democratic Pakatan Rakyat retains the seat, as its candidate, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, wins about 59.57% of the vote, up from 57.99%

The conservative Barisan Nasional party’s candidate, Chew Mei Fun, wins about 40.43% of the vote, up from 37.77%

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Second Round of Slovakian Presidential Election Slovakia, a country of about 5,400,000 people, holds presidential

elections every five years, with the presidency a largely ceremonial role, though the President is commander-in-chief, appoints the prime minister, three judges of the constitutional court and three members of the judicial council, appoints ministers on the recommendation of the prime minister, can grant parole on the recommendation of the minister of justice, and can veto non-constitutional bills, though this veto can be overridden by a majority of the National Council

The incumbent president, Ivan Gašparovič of the social democratic Direction – Social Democracy party, has served two terms and cannot run again

The election has gone to a second round, as no candidate secured a majority of the vote in the first round

Andrej Kiska, an independent philanthropist and former businessman, wins with about 59.38% of the vote

Robert Fico, current Prime Minister and member of the incumbent social democratic Direction – Social Democracy party, wins about 40.61% of the vote, down from the 55.53% his party’s candidate won in the first round of the last presidential election

Malaysia: Balingian By-Election in Sarawak State Sarawak State, a state of about 2,500,000 people that occupies the

northwestern part of the island of Borneo, has a unicameral legislature of 71 legislators representing single-member constituencies, 54 of whom currently belong to the conservative Barisan Nasional, in power at the national level, 15 of whom currently belong to the socially liberal Islamist social democratic Pakatan Rakyat party, in opposition on the national level, one of whom is independent and one of which is vacant following the February 28th resignation of Barisan Nasional candidate Abdul Taib Mahmud; the by-election is to replace him

Voter turnout is 72.33% The conservative Barisan National party’s candidate, Yussibnosh Balo,

wins with 86.46% of the vote, up from 76.32%, and the party retains the seat

The socially liberal Islamist social democratic Pakatan Rakyat party’s candidate, Abdul Jalil Bujang, wins with 13.54% of the vote, up from 10.70%

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Turkey: Local Elections Turkey holds municipal elections for all 2,919 metropolitan and district

mayors as well as their municipal council members, as well as muhtars and “elderly councils” in rural areas every four years; this particular election is considered to be a referendum on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

The Justice and Development party wins about 45.6% of the vote, up from 38.8% in 2009, and wins Istanbul and Ankara but loses Antakya, the capital of Hatay Province and home to much of Turkey’s small Alawite minority; before the vote it had mayors in 1,752 out of 2,919 municipalities

The pro-secular main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party, wins about 27.8% of the vote, up from 23.1%, and elects ___ mayors, up from 505 of 2,919

The conservative far-right Turkish pan-Turkish ultranationalist Nationalist Movement Party elects mayors in ___ cities, down from 487 of 2,919, and wins 15.2% of the vote, down from 16.1%

The pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party increases the number of cities under its control from eight to 11, mostly religiously conservative ones in the southeast, and elects ___ mayors, up from 98 of 2,919, winning 4.2% of the vote, down from 5.7%

The far-right conservative Sunni Islamist pro-social justice Felicity Party wins 2.0% of the vote, down from 5.18%

The new left-wing democratic socialist feminist pro-minority rights People’s Democratic Party wins 1.9% of the vote

Far-right conservative Sunni Islamist Turkish nationalist Great Union Party wins 1.1% of the vote, down from 2.22%

The turnout rate is nearly 90%

France: Second Round of Municipal Elections In those towns in which no candidate won an absolute majority of the

vote during municipal elections last Sunday, the vote went to a second round between the top two candidates today; municipal councilors and the mayors they elect ordinarily serve terms of six years

The Gaullist liberal conservative Christian democratic Union for a Popular Movement wins control of Toulouse, a city of about 875,000 people in southwestern France near the central Spanish border, Quimper, a city of about 63,000 people near the northwestern corner of France, Limoges, a city of about 140,000 people in western central France, Saint-Etinne, a city of about 180,000 people in southeastern central France, Reims, a city of about 190,000 people about 80 miles east-northeast of Paris, Roubaix, a city of about 100,000 people on the central western Belgian border, and Tourcoing, a city of about 100,000 people just east of Roubaix, taking about 48% of the vote in total

The social democratic Socialists lose control of about 155 towns of more than 9,000 people, including Toulouse, Quimper, Limoges, Saint-Etienne, Reims, Roubaix and Tourcoing, but retain control of Paris; in all, they receive about 43% of the vote

The far-right French nationalist socially conservative, populist, eurosceptic, anti-globalization, anti-immigration National Front party wins in 11 towns of more than 9,000 inhabitants, including Frejus, a city of about 50,000 people on the central eastern part of France’s Mediterranean coast, and Beziers, a city of about 75,000 people on the central western part of France’s Mediterranean coast, out of about 200 places in which they had won through to a second round, as well as the 7th district of Marseille, France’s second-largest city, which has a population of about 1,600,000 people; the district itself has a population of about 150,000 people, making it the party’s biggest win; in all, they receive about 7% of the vote

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Maltese Indirect Presidential Election

The President of Malta, the constitutional head of state, is appointed every five years by a resolution of the House of Representatives; s/he is part of Parliament, appoints the judiciary, may dissolve the House of Representatives on the request of the Prime Minister, names the Prime Minister and most members of constitutional bodies (the latter with the Prime Minister’s assent), may pardon criminals, authorizes honors, awards and decorations and chairs the Commission for the Administration of Justice, with nominal authority vested in him/her but in practice exercised by the Prime Minister

A unanimous vote by the House elects center-left progressive social democratic Labour Party member and Minister of the Family and Social Solidarity Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca to the Presidency

Saturday, April 5, 2014

First Round of Afghan Presidential Election Presidential elections are held every five years in Afghanistan, with the

President having a wide range of executive and legislative powers, as the national bicameral legislature is fairly weak

Reformist, pro-Islamic democracy National Coalition of Afghanistan head Abdullah Abdullah wins about 45.00% of the vote and moves on to the second round of voting

Independent candidate Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai wins about 31.56% of the vote and moves on to the second round of voting

Independent candidate Zalmai Rassoul wins about 11.48% of the vote Pro-Wahhabi Islamism, pro-Pashtun interests Islamic Dawah

Organization of Afghanistan candidate Abdul Rasul Sayyaf wins about 7.08% of the vote

Independent candidate Qutbuddin Hilal wins about 2.73% of the vote Independent candidate Gul Agha Sherzai wins about 1.61% of the vote Independent candidate Mohammad Daud Sultanzoy wins about 0.46% of the

vote Independent candidate Hedayat Amin Arsala wins about 0.23% of the vote About 64% of the voters who turn out are male, and about 36% are female

Turnout comes to about 58%, with about 7 million out of 12 million registered voters going to the polls; this is up from 2009, when about one-third of eligible voters participated

Australian Senate Special Election for Western Australia The results of the 2013 federal election for the six seats of the Senate

elected from Western Australia were voided after a dysfunctional vote-counting process took place, and a re-election was ordered

The conservative liberal center-right Liberal Party wins 3 of 6 seats, as in the last election, and 34.06% of the vote, down from 39.20%, giving them 33 of 76 seats in the Senate, down from 34

The social democratic Labor Party wins 1 of 6 seats, down from 2, and 21.53% of the vote, down from 26.59%, giving them 25 of 76 seats in the Senate, down from 31

The pro-green politics Greens win 1 of 6 seats, as in the last election, and 15.60% of the vote, up from 9.49%, giving them 10 of 76 seats in the Senate, up from 9

The anti-carbon tax, pro-free trade, pro-decentralization, anti-higher education fees, anti-monopoly, pro-mining, anti-lobbyist, pro-refugee rights Palmer Union Party wins 1 of 6 seats, up from 0, and 12.34% of the vote, up from 5.01%, giving it 2 of 76 seats in the Senate, up from 0

The classically liberal, libertarian Liberal Democratic Party wins 0 of 6 seats, as in the last election, and 3.43% of the vote, up from 1.18%, giving it 1 of 76 seats in the Senate, up from 0

The left-of-center, anti-poker, pro-green, pro-consumer rights, anti-special perks for politicians Xenophon Group wins 0 of 6 seats, as in the last election, and 0% of the vote, as in the last election, giving it 1 of 76 seats in the Senate, as in the last election

The conservative, pro-family values Family First Party wins 0 of 6 seats, as in the last election, and 0.67% of the vote, down from 1.15%, giving it 1 of 76 seats in the Senate, up from 0

The anti-communist, anti-economic rationalism, pro-distributism, socially conservative Democratic Labour Party wins 0 of 6 seats, as in the last election, and 0% of the vote, giving it 1 of 76 seats in the Senate, as in the last election

The new libertarian, pro-motor vehicle drivers’ rights Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party wins 0 of 6 seats and 0.59% of the vote, giving it 1 of 76 seats in the Senate

The new pro-health and sports Australian Sports Party wins 0 of 6 seats and 0.23% of the vote, giving it 1 of 76 seats in the Senate

Afghanistan: Provincial Elections Results were predominantly nonpartisan and unavailable; I won’t list them

because results are devilishly hard to find, and because I might not be able to actually learn anything from what would basically be a jumble of names

Each provincial council has 458 seats, with 20% of the seats specifically reserved for women

Preliminary results are to be announced around April 28

Russia: Mayoral By-Election in Novosibirsk After the January resignation of the mayor of Novosibirsk, the third-

largest city in Russia, home to about 1,500,000 people and located in southwestern Siberia, about 200 miles north of the eastern central part of Russia’s Kazakh border, a by-election is called

The incumbent mayor was a member of the ruling party, United Russia The election is won by socialist patriot Marxist-Leninist left-wing

nationalist Communist Party candidate Anatoly Lokot, who wins about 43.7% of the vote

The centrist conservative, Putinist, statist United Russia candidate Vladimir Znatkov wins 39.6% of the vote

No other candidate wins more than 4% of the vote Voter turnout is about 31.3%

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Hungarian Parliamentary Elections

Every four years Hungary elects a new unicameral National Assembly, which has parliamentary supremacy; due to a 2012 constitutional revision, this election will have a single round, unlike previous Parliaments, including the current one, it will contain 199 Members of Parliament, rather than 386, there is no minimum turnout necessary for the Parliament to be valid, a 5% threshold is required for a party to be elected, 106 seats are first-past-the-post constituency seats and 93 are party-list seats, including minority-list seats (which must only reach the threshold of 5% of the minority vote, not of the entire vote), and Hungarian citizens can now vote even if they have no permanent residence in Hungary

The nationalist conservative soft eurosceptic center-right- to- right-wing Fidesz party wins 133 of 199 seats, down from 263 of 386, including 96 of the 106 first-past-the-post seats and 37 of the 93 party-list seats, and about 44.5% of the vote, down from about 52.73%

The center-left progressive social democratic Unity Alliance wins 38 of 199 seats, up from 59 of 386, including 10 of the 106 first-past-the-post seats and 28 of the 93 party-list seats, and about 25.99% of the vote, up from about 19.7%

The far-right Hungarian nationalist, radical, eurosceptic, anti-Zionist, anti-globalist Jobbik party wins 23 of 199 seats, all of them party-list seats, up from 43 of 386, and about 20.54% of the vote, up from about 16.67%

The green centrist- to- center-left liberal Politics Can Be Different party wins 5 of 199 seats, all of the party-list seats, down from 16 of 386, with about 5.26% of the vote, down from about 7.47%

Turnout is 61.24%, down from 64.36% in 2010 and the lowest turnout for a parliamentary election since 1998

Second Round of Costa Rican Presidential Election Costa Rica, a country of about 4,600,000 people and a stable democracy

since 1949, holds presidential elections every four years, with the incumbent ineligible to participate, and when no candidate receives a majority of the vote, as was the case in the February 2nd election, the state enters a second round of voting, which includes only the top two candidates from the first round

The center-left social democratic progressive Christian socialist Citizens’ Action Party’s candidate, Luis Guillermo Solís, wins overwhelmingly with 77.85% of the vote, since his opponent, the center-left social democratic National Liberation Party’s candidate, Jonny Araya Monge, agreed to withdraw from the race on March 6, as he was trailing heavily in the polls; he nevertheless receives 22.15% of the vote

Japan: Kyoto Gubernatorial Election Kyoto Prefecture, home to about 2,630,000 people and located on the

central part of Honshu Island’s northern coast, elects a governor every four years

Independent incumbent Governor Keiji Yamada, who is supported by the politically Buddhist, conservative, socially conservative New Komeito Party, the conservative nationalist, populist Liberal Democratic Party and the socially liberal, progressive, social democratic Democratic Party of Japan, wins a fourth four-year term in the gubernatorial election, beating an independent Marxist, scientific socialist, pacifist eurocommunist Japanese Communist Party-backed candidate, Nozomu Ozaki

Monday, April 7, 2014

Canada: Quebec Provincial Parliamentary Election The National Assembly of Quebec is a unicameral legislature of 125

Members of Parliament with parliamentary supremacy over the province; general elections are held at least every five years through the first-past-the-post system, but this particular election is held as a snap election

The center-right liberal, socially liberal Quebec federalist Quebec Liberal Party wins 70 of 125 seats, up from 50, and about 41.4% of the vote, up from about 31.20%

The center-left Quebec nationalist, pro-Quebec sovereignty, social democratic secular humanist Parti Québécois wins 30 of 125 seats, down from 54, and about 25.4% of the vote, down from about 31.95%

The center-right socially liberal and economically conservative Quebec nationalist, federalist, pro-Quebec autonomy Coalition for Quebec’s Future wins 22 of 125 seats, up from 19, and about 23.4% of the vote, down from about 27.05%

The left-wing democratic socialist pro-Green politics, feminist, anti-capitalist, pro-Quebec sovereignty, pro-alter-globalization Québec Solidaire party wins 3 of 125 seats, up from 2, and about 7.4% of the vote, up from about 6.03%

Monday, April 7 - Monday, May 12, 2014

Indian Parliamentary Elections India, a country of about 1,290,000,000 people and an independent and fairly

stable democracy since 1947, elects the lower house, the Lok Sabha, of a bicameral parliament every five years (unless Parliament is dissolved sooner), consisting of representatives from 543 constituencies, with up to 530 of them representing States, up to 20 representing Union Territories (such as Delhi) and up to two members of the Anglo-Indian Community nominated by the President of India if he or she so wishes; 84 seats are reserved for representatives of Scheduled Castes and 47 seats for representatives of Scheduled Tribes

The upper house, the Rajya Sabha, has similar powers in theory but in practice is far less powerful, as it cannot block financial bills, pocket veto bills, or pass motions of no confidence against the government; it has 250 members, 12 of them nominated by the President and 238 elected by state and territorial legislatures via the Single Transferable Vote through proportional representation; said members sit for six-year terms, with one-third of them retiring every two years

Turnout is 66.38%, the highest ever recorded in the history of Indian electionso In the new Lok Sabha, the ruling coalition contains the following

groups, occupying 336 of 543 seats in all: The right-wing integral humanist, Hindu nationalist

Bharatiya Janata Party wins 282 of 543 seats, up from 159, and about 31.00% of the vote, up from about 24.63%

The far-right ultranationalist Shiv Sena party wins 18 of 543 seats, up from 11, and about 1.85% of the vote, up from about 1.55%

The populist, regionalist, socially liberal Telugu Desam Party wins 16 of 543 seats, up from 6, and about 2.55% of the vote, up from about 2.51%

The secular, socialist Lok Janshakti Party wins 6 of 543 seats, up from 0, and about 0.41% of the vote, down from about 0.45%

The Sikh right-wing- to- far-right Shiromani Akali Dal party wins 4 of 543 seats, as in the last election, and about 0.66% of the vote, down from about 0.96%

The new socialist, regionalist Rashtriya Lok Samata Party wins 3 of 543 seats and about 0.19% of the vote

The pro-social justice, feminist Apna Dal party wins 2 of 543 seats, up from 0, and about 0.15% of the vote, up from about 0.12%

The social democratic, populist Pattali Makkal Katchia party wins 1 of 543 seats, up from 0, and about 0.33% of the vote, down from about 0.47%

The conservative liberal center-right Swabhimani Paksha party wins 1 of 543 seats, as in the last election, and about 0.20% of the vote, up from about 0.12%

The regionalist Naga People’s Front wins 1 of 543 seats, as in the last election, and about 0.18% of the vote, down from about 0.20%

The new tribal-centric, pro-literacy and pro-education National People’s Party wins 1 of 543 seats and about 0.10% of the vote

The new centrist, social democratic/populist All India N.R. Congress party wins 1 of 543 seats and about 0.05% of the vote

o The other groups include the following parties, occupying 207 of 543 seats in all:

The center-left populist, liberal nationalist, social democratic, progressive Indian National Congress wins 44 of 543 seats, down from 262, and about 19.31% of the vote, down from about 37.22%

The centrist social democratic populist All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party wins 37 of 543 seats, up from 9, and about 3.27% of the vote, up from about 1.67%

The center-left secular populist democratic socialist All India Trinamool Congress party wins 34 of 543 seats, up from 19, and about 3.84% of the vote, up from about 3.50%

The center-left social democratic, socially liberal populist Biju Janata Dal party wins 20 of 543 seats, up from 14, and about 1.71% of the vote, up from about 1.59%

The Telangana regionalist Telangana Rashtra Samithi party wins 11 of 543 seats, up from 2, and about 1.22% of the vote, up from about 0.62%

The Marxist-Leninist far-left Communist Party of India (Marxist) wins 9 of 543 seats, down from 16, and about 3.25% of the vote, down from about 5.33%

The new regionalist YSR Congress Party wins 9 of 543 seats and about 2.53% of the vote

The centrist- to- center-left progressive, populist, secular democratic, egalitarian, liberal nationalist, pro-social justice, socially conservative, federalist Nationalist Congress Party wins 6 of 543 seats, down from 9, and about 1.56% of the vote, down from about 2.14%

The center-left democratic socialist, populist Samajwadi Party wins 5 of 543 seats, down from 23, and about 3.37% of the vote, down from about 3.42%

The new center-left anti-corruption Aam Aadmi Party wins 4 of 543 seats and about 2.05% of the vote

The socially conservative, secular, socialist Rashtriya Janata Dal party wins 4 of 543 seats, as in the last election, and about 1.34% of the vote, up from about 1.27%

The regionalist All India United Democratic Front wins 3 of 543 seats, up from 1, and about 0.42% of the vote, down from about 0.52%

The pro-self rule in Jammu and Kashmir party, the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party, wins 3 of 543 seats, as in the last election, and about 0.13% of the vote, up from about 0.12%

The center-left integral humanist, secular, socialist Janata Dal (United) party wins 2 of 543 seats, down from 20, and about 1.08% of the vote, down from about 1.52%

The center-left social democratic, secular Janata Dal (Secular) party wins 2 of 543 seats, down from 3, and about 0.67% of the vote, down from about 0.82%

The regionalist Indian National Lok Dal party wins 2 of 543 seats, up from 0, and about 0.51% of the vote, up from about 0.31%

The regionalist Jharkhand Mukti Morcha party wins 2 of 543 seats, as in the last election, and about 0.30% of the vote, down from about 0.40%

The Islamic pro-union Indian Union Muslim League wins 2 of 543 seats, as in the last election, and about 0.20% of the vote, down from about 0.21%

The far-left Communist Party of India wins 1 of 543 seats, down from 4, and about 0.78% of the vote, down from about 1.43%

The Marxist-Leninist, socialist Revolutionary Socialist Party wins 1 of 543 seats, down from 2, and about 0.30% of the vote, down from about 0.38%

The right-wing Muslim secular democratic All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen wins 1 of 543 seats, as in the last election, and about 0.12% of the vote, up from about 0.07%

The regionalist Kerala Congress wins 1 of 543 seats, as in the last election, and about 0.08% of the vote, down from about 0.10%

The democratic socialist Sikkim Democratic Front wins 1 of 543 seats and about 0.03% of the vote, down from about 0.04%

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Indonesian Legislative Election

Every five years Indonesia holds elections for both houses of the legislature, the lower house, or People’s Representative Council, of 560 representatives, created in 1945, and the upper house, or Regional Representative Council, of 128 representatives, created in 2001; each of them may draw up and pass legislation, but bills not related to regional issues, management of natural and other economic resources, or the financial balance between the central government and the regions do not need to pass the upper house, and only the lower house’s votes are needed in order to pass the budget

The People’s Representative Council is elected on the basis of open-list proportional representation, and the Regional Representative Council is elected by a nonpartisan process in which each region votes for four representatives

Political parties must win 25% of the popular vote or 20% of the 532 seats in the lower house of the legislature to nominate both a presidential and a vice-presidential candidate

The pro-social justice, pro-Indonesian unity, pro-divinity of God, pro-consensus, pro-“just and civilized humanity” Indonesian Democratic Party - Struggle wins about 19.8% of the vote, up from about 14.0%, and of 560 seats in the People’s Representative Council, up from 95

The pro-social justice, pro-Indonesian unity, pro-divinity of God, pro-consensus, pro-“just and civilized humanity” Golkar Party, which is currently in power, wins about 14.6% of the vote, up from about 14.45%, and of 560 seats in the People’s Representative Council, up from 107

The pro-social justice, pro-Indonesian unity, pro-divinity of God, pro-consensus, pro-“just and civilized humanity” Gerindra Party wins about 11.8% of the vote, up from about 4.5%, and of 560 seats in the People’s Representative Council, up from 26

The pro-social justice, pro-Indonesian unity, pro-divinity of God, pro-consensus, pro-“just and civilized humanity” Democratic Party, which is currently in power, wins about 9.7% of the vote, down from about 20.9%, and of 560 seats in the People’s Representative Council, down from 148

Final results will be announced on May 9th

Indonesia: Local Elections

Every five years Indonesia holds elections for its Regional Representative Councils Level I, with 2,112 total seats across the country, and Regional Representative Councils Level II, with 16,895 total seats across the country

Canada: Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Parliament By-Election in Virginia Waters

Newfoundland and Labrador, whose unicameral Legislative Assembly of 48 seats went into elections with 33 members of the center-right progressive conservative economically liberal neoliberal Progressive Conservative Party in power and 11 members of the centrist- to- center-left Liberal Party and 3 members of the center-left social democratic New Democratic Party in opposition, held a by-election in the Virginia Waters electoral district, located in the central far northern part of St. John’s, the provincial capital of about 106,000 people which is located on the southwestern coast of Newfoundland and Labrador; the district has a population of about 12,000 people and a Progressive Conservative incumbent, Kathy Dunderdale, who had just resigned

Candidates are elected in first-past-the-post single-member constituencies every four years; the next election is in 2015

The centrist- to- center-left Liberal Party’s candidate, Cathy Bennett, wins with about 39.88% of the vote, up from about 9.55% in 2011, gaining her party the seat and giving Newfoundland and Labrador’s Legislative Assembly 33 members of the center-right progressive conservative economically liberal neoliberal Progressive Conservative Party, down from 34, 12 members of the centrist- to- center-left Liberal Party, up from 11, and 3 members of the center-left social democratic New Democratic Party

The center-right progressive conservative economically liberal neoliberal Progressive Conservative Party’s candidate, Danny Breen, wins about 39.05% of the vote, down from about 60.04%, losing his party the seat

The center-left New Democratic Party’s candidate, Sheilagh O’Leary, wins about 21.07% of the vote, down from about 30.42%

Thursday, April 10 – Thursday, April 17, 2014

India: Odisha State Assembly Election In Odisha State, a state of about 42,000,000 people on the country’s

northeastern coast, the unicameral Odisha Legislative Assembly of 147 legislators is elected every five years through first-past-the-post voting, unless a snap election is called early

The center-left, socially liberal, social democratic, populist Biju Janata Dal wins 117 of 147 seats, up from 103, and about 43.4% of the vote, up from about 38.86%

The social democratic, Ghandian socialist, liberal nationalist, progressive, populist Indian National Congress wins 16 of 147 seats, down from 27, and about 25.7% of the vote, down from about 29.10%

The integral humanist, Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party wins 10 of 147 seats, up from 6, and about 18.0% of the vote, up from about 15.05%

Independents win 2 of 147 seats, down from 6, and about 5.0% of the vote, down from about 8.65%

The Marxist-Leninist, far-left Communist Party of India (Marxist) wins 1 of 147 seats, up from 0, and about 0.4% of the vote

The social democratic, regionalist Samata Kranti Dal wins 1 of 147 seats, up from 0, and about 0.4% of the vote

Saturday, April 12, 2014

India: Sikkim State Assembly Election In Sikkim State, a landlocked state of about 610,000 people, India’s smallest

state by population and second-smallest by total area, sandwiched between Nepal and Bhutan, the unicameral Sikkim Legislative Assembly of 32 legislators is elected every five years, unless a snap election is called early

Before the election, the Assembly contained 32 members of the democratic socialist Sikkim Democratic Front, who were each elected through first-past-the-post voting

The democratic socialist Sikkim Democratic Front wins 22 of 32 seats, down from 32, and about 55.0% of the vote, down from about 65.91%

The new democratic socialist Sikkim Krantkari Morcha wins 10 of 32 seats and about 40.8% of the vote

New Zealand: Niue Assembly Elections Niue, a self-governing state of about 1,400 people in free association

with New Zealand, is a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy, governed by the 20-member Niue Assembly, composed of six non-partisan members elected on a common roll and 14 representatives of the villages

There are no political parties in Niue; all candidates are independents Six of the 14 representatives of the villages ran and were elected unopposed,

seven of them were elected in a contest, and one of them was elected by lots, as the vote was a tie

There were 17 candidates for the six common-role spots, and the top six were elected

Candidates supportive of Premier Toke Talagi won 12 of the 20 seats of the Parliament

Australia: Northern Territory Legislative Assembly By-Election in Blain In Blain, a constituency of about 5,000 people on the western central part of

the coast of the Northern Territory, a state of about 235,000 people, a by-election takes place for its parliamentary constituency in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, a unicameral chamber of 25 Members of Parliament, each of whom are elected, barring a snap election, every four years, which will next happen in 2016

Before the election, the Assembly contained 13 members of the conservative liberal agrarian Liberal National Party, 8 members of the center-left Labor Party, 3 Indigenous members who form their own bloc, and one Independent; Blain was held by the Liberal National Party

The election is held because the Liberal National Party incumbent Terry Mills, Chief Minister until March 13, 2013, resigned on February 20th

The conservative liberal agrarian Liberal National Party’s candidate, Nathan Barret, wins about 45.5% of the vote, down from about 61.6%, with a two-party preferred result of 53.2% of the vote, down from about 63.2%, and retains the seat for his party, allowing it to continue to control 13 of the Assembly’s 25 seats

The center-left Liberal Party’s candidate, Geoff Bahnert, wins about 37.4% of the vote, up from about 33.6%, with a two-party preferred result of about 46.8% of the vote, up from about 36.8%, ensuring that his party will continue to control 8 of the Assembly’s 25 seats

New Independent candidate Matthew Cranitch wins about 8.6% of the vote

The newly participating Greens’ candidate, Sue McKinnon, wins about 7.1% of the vote

The new far-right pro-conspiracy theory, far-right, fascist, economically leftist Citizens Electoral Council’s candidate, Peter Flynn, wins about 1.5% of the vote

Turnout is about 61.6%

Monday, April 13, 2014

Guinea-Bissau Presidential Election Guinea-Bissau, a unitary semi-presidential republic of about 1,700,000

people that has been independent since 1974 and a formal multiparty democracy since 1994, is highly unstable and has never seen a government complete its elected mandate; a 2012 coup led to these elections, which have already been postponed twice

The President is elected through a two-round system Jose Mario Vaz, candidate of the Marxist left-wing nationalist African

Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), wins about 40.89% of the vote, down from the party’s last result of about 48.97%, and goes on to the second round of the election

Nuno Gomes Nabiam, independent candidate, wins about 24.79% of the vote and goes on to the second round of the election

Paulo Gomes, independent candidate, wins about 10.40% of the vote Abel Incanda, candidate of the center-left social democratic Party for

Social Renewal, wins about 6.97% of the vote, down from the party’s last result of about 23.36%

Mamadú Iaia Djaló, candidate of the New Democracy Party, wins about 4.53% of the vote

Ibraima Sory Djaló, candidate of the National Reconciliation Party, wins about 3.10% of the vote

Antonio Afonso Té, candidate of the Republican Party for Independence and Development, wins about 2.99% of the vote

Heldar Vaz Lopes, independent candidate, wins about 1.41% of the vote Domingos Quadé, independent candidate, wins about 1.37% of the vote Aregado Mantenque Té, candidate of the socialist Workers’ Party, wins about

1.15% of the vote, up from about 1.04% Luis Nancassa, independent candidate, wins about 1.11% of the vote, up

from 0.37% Jorge Malú, independent candidate, wins about 0.97% of the vote Cirilo Rodrigues de Oliveira, candidate of the Socialist Party, wins about

0.33% of the vote

Guinea-Bissau Parliamentary Elections Guinea-Bissau, a unitary semi-presidential republic of about 1,700,000

people that has been independent since 1974 and a formal multiparty democracy since 1994, is highly unstable and has never seen a government complete its elected mandate; a 2012 coup led to these elections, which have already been postponed twice

The 102 members of the National People’s Assembly are elected through proportional representation, using 27 multi-member constituencies

The Marxist left-wing nationalist African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) wins 57 of 102 seats, down from 67, and about 47.98% of the vote, down from about 49.52%

The center-left social democratic Party for Social Renewal wins 41 of 102 seats, up from 28, and about 30.76% of the vote, up from about 25.21%

The Democratic Convergence Party wins 2 of 102 seats, up from 1, and about 3.37% of the vote, up from about 1.38%

The New Democracy Party wins 1 of 102 seats, as in the last election, and about 4.87% of the vote, up from about 2.34%

The Union for Change wins 1 of 102 seats, up from 0, and about 1.84% of the vote, up from about 1.28%

First Round of Macedonian Presidential Election

Macedonia, a country of about 2,050,000 people and an independent country and fairly stable democracy since 1991, elects a president every five years, who is limited to two terms and serves as Commander-in-Chief and President of the Security Council, nominates the Prime Minister, makes diplomatic appointments and some judicial and Security Council appointments, and grants decorations, honors and pardons; he is head of state but not of government

The incumbent President, Gjorge Ivanov is a member of the center-right- to- right-wing Macedonian nationalist, conservative, Christian democratic Organization – Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity, and is running for re-election

The incumbent and center-right- to- right-wing Macedonian nationalist, conservative, Christian democratic Organization – Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity candidate, Gjorge Ivanov, wins about 51.69% of the vote

The Third Way center-left Social Democratic Union of Macedonia’s candidate, Stevo Pendarovski, wins about 37.51% of the vote

The Albanian ultranationalist, pro-minority rights Democratic Party of Albanians’ candidate, Ilijaz Halimi, wins about 4.48% of the vote

The independent candidate Zoran T. Popovski wins about 3.61% of the vote Turnout is about 48.86%, low in part because of boycotts by the ethnic

Albanian population, who were in part protesting the biased and unbalanced media coverage of the election

Due to low turnout, a second round of the election is required, since a candidate must gather support from more than 50% of all registered voters in order to secure an outright victory in the first round

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Algerian Presidential Election Algeria, a nominally democratic autocracy of about 38,000,000 people,

which has been controlled by the military since it ended the 1991-2002 civil war; it has elections but elected officials hold relatively little power, whereas military officials and unelected civilians exercise real control over the country

Elections are held every five years but may have fixed results

Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the three-term incumbent and the candidate of left-wing Algerian nationalist, social democratic National Liberation Front, wins with about 81.53% of the vote, down from about 90.24%

Ali Benflis, an independent critical of fraud in the system, wins about 12.18% of the vote

Abdelaziz Belaid, a candidate of the new Front for the Future party, wins about 3.36% of the vote

Louisa Hanoune, a candidate of the Trotskyist far-left Workers’ Party, wins about 1.37% of the vote, down from about 4.22%

Ali Fawzi Rebaine, a candidate of pro-human rights party Ahd 54, wins about 0.99% of the vote, up from about 0.93%

Moussa Touati, a candidate of the center-right nationalist conservative Algerian National Front, wins about 0.56% of the vote, down from about 2.31%

Turnout is stated to be about 51.70%, down from around an alleged 74.54%

1/8/14 3:40 PM

1/8/14 3:40 PM