Year-end Review: 2024 Marks Biggest Election Year
2024 has been the biggest election year in history, with voters in over 50 countries around the world casting their ballots.
From presidential to legislative elections, the results of these polls have a significant impact on nearly half of the world’s population, with issues related to economy, international relations and human rights at stake. Below is a preview of the most important elections that took place in 2024:
US Presidential Election
Americans went to the ballot boxes on November 5, 2024, in the world’s most watched election. The Democratic nominee and Vice President, Kamala Harris, and the Republican nominee and former President, Donald Trump, faced off in a heated contest.
Although both candidates remained neck and neck in most polls, Trump clinched victory and made a historic return to the White House as the 47th President of the US, winning 50% of the popular votes and securing 312 Electoral College votes.
Iran Election
After the death of the Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, in a helicopter crash in May, Iran held an early presidential election on June 28, 2024. Six candidates competed for the office amid a critical time for Iran, as the war in Gaza, Iran’s nuclear program, and domestic protests overshadowed the election.
After runoff round on July 6, 2024, the moderate candidate, Masoud Pezeshkian, defeated his hardline rival, Saeed Jalili, winning 16.3 million votes to 13.5 million votes respectively.
India Election
From April 19 to June 1, 2024, India held its legislative election, the biggest in the world with about 1 billion eligible voters. The contest saw Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, of the Bharatiya Janata (BJP) ruling party, trying to secure his third consecutive term in power against an alliance of opposition parties, led by the Congress Party.
Modi, leading the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), secured a majority of 293 seats in the legislative house (Lok Sabha), against 234 seats for the INDIA opposition alliance. Although Modi secured his third term as Prime Minister, the BJP lost its majority in the Lok Sabha, failing to achieve landslide victory as predicted.
South Africa Election
On May 29, 2024, South Africans headed to the polls to elect national and provincial parliamentary representatives, who decide the next president. The election was overshadowed by many critical issues, including economy, unemployment, corruption and crime.
The ruling African National Congress (ANC) competed with the Democratic Alliance (DA), the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), and uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), in addition to an array of smaller parties.
After a fierce competition, the ANC lost its majority for the first time in 30 years, winning only 40% of the votes, in a major political shift that demonstrates frustration over corruption scandals and economic mismanagement. As a result, the ANC agreed with the DA, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the Patriotic Alliance (PA) to form a coalition government, re-electing Cyril Ramaphosa as South Africa’s President.
Russia Election
Russia held its eighth presidential election from March 15-17, 2024. In no surprise, the incumbent Russian President, Vladimir Putin, claimed a landslide victory, securing 87.3% of the vote.
Putin, running as an independent, faced off with three rivals: Nikolai Kharitonov of the Communist Party (4.37%); Vladislav Davankov of the New People Party (3.90%); and Leonid Slutsky of the Liberal Democratic Party (3.24%).
UK Election
In a surprise announcement in May 2024, the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, called for a snap election on July 4, at a critical timing for his Conservative Party, which was losing popularity to rival Labour Party.
In addition to the Labour Party, the Conservative Party (Tories) competed with Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party, Green Party, Reform UK, Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party.
Led by Keir Starmer, the Labour Party claimed landslide victory, gaining 412 seats in the House of Commons to 121 seats for the Conservative Party. Hence, the election results ended the Tories 14-year tenure as the governing party.
Venezuela Election
In a controversial race, Venezuelans cast their ballots on July 28, 2024. The incumbent President, Nicolas Maduro, and the opposition candidate, Edmundo González, claimed victory in the presidential election.
However, the National Electoral Council, Venezuela’s electoral authority, declared that Maduro had secured a 51% of the vote, to 44% for opposition candidate Edmundo González.
Mexico Election
Mexico held its general election on June 2, 2024, with two female candidates leading the polls for the first time. The former mayor of Mexico City Claudia Sheinbaum competed with the opposition former senator and tech entrepreneur Xóchitl Gálvez.
Sheinbaum has made history by becoming the first woman and first Jew to serve as a president in Latin America. She claimed victory with 61.18% of the vote, leading over her closest rival by a landslide margin of 33%.
EU Parliamentary Election
As hundreds of millions of Europeans cast their polls in the European Parliamentary election, the results showed a clear shift to the right, dealing a heavy blow to the leaders of France and Germany.
Out of the EU Parliament’s 720 seats, 188 went to center-right European People’s Party (EPP), dominated by Germany’s Christian Democrats. Meanwhile, the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), led by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s Socialist Workers Party, claimed 136 seats.
The third largest group was Patriots for Europe, dominated by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s party, Fidesz, and the French National Rally, after winning 84 seats. After that came the euro-sceptic nationalist group ECR, dominated by Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS) and Georgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy, with 78 seats.
