Over 60 countries were expected to go to polls at the start of this year, amounting to nearly half of the world’s population.
This graphic lists the key elections that have taken place in 2024, its winners, and the three big upcoming elections slated for the second half of this year.
Elections 2024: Who Won What So Far?
In the six big elections to start 2024, four incumbents held on to power. This list includes: Sheikh Hasina (Bangladesh), Shehbaz Sharif (Pakistan), Narendra Modi (India) and Vladimir Putin (Russia).
However, the Russian and Bangladeshi elections had little to no opposition candidates, casting a shadow on the electoral process.
| Month | Elections | Winners | Designation |
|---|---|---|---|
| January |  Bangladesh |
Sheikh Hasina | Prime Minister |
| February |  Indonesia |
Prabowo Subianto | President |
| Feb-March |  Pakistan |
Shehbaz Sharif* | Prime Minister |
| March |  Russia |
Vladimir Putin | President |
| April-June |  India |
Narendra Modi | Prime Minister |
| June |  Mexico |
Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo | President |
Independents backed by the opposition won the most parliamentary seats but did not form the government.
Meanwhile in Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz was re-elected to office.
However, the country’s election comission ruled that the opposition PTI party had not held valid internal elections, forcing its candidates to stand as independents. While they informally won the most number of seats in parliament (92), they still fell short of forming a majority.
Across the world, former governor of Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo was elected president and will be Mexico’s first woman president.
India’s Narendra Modi was re-elected for a third term but was forced to rely on a coalition to form the government.
In Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, businessman and former defense minister was elected president. Subianto has been accused of human rights abuses during his military career and was once banned from entering the United States.
Major Upcoming Elections in 2024
On June 9th, French President Emmanuel Macron called a snap legislative election after dismal results for his Ensemble coalition in the European Parliament elections. The right-wing populist party, National Rally, led by 28-year old Prime Ministerial candidate Jordan Bardella, currently leads in the polls for the election slated for the first week of July.
| Month | Elections | Incumbent | Opposition |
|---|---|---|---|
| July |  France |
Gabriel Attal | Jordan Bardella |
| July |  UK |
Rishi Sunak | Keir Starmer |
| November |  U.S. |
Joe Biden | Donald Trump |
Across the channel in the UK, the Labour Party’s Keir Starmer is also leading in polls against incumbent Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who inherited the position from Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister, Liz Truss.
And finally, on November 5th, President Joe Biden will go up against former President Donald Trump for round two, in what is being called “an even closer election” than last time.
Credit: Visual Capitalist
