RationalWiki:What is going on with the elections?/2021

December 2021
In yet another very polarized election in South America, Chile elects its youngest ever president, leftist Gabriel Boric, who defeated the Augusto Pinochet bootlicker José Antonio Kast in the runoff election. Lowest voter turnout ever in Hong Kong's first post-crackdown "patriots only" Legislative Council elections LibDems win the North Shropshire by-election - a seat the Tories have held consistently since the 1830s - in a massive 34% swing.

November 2021
Where do you even begin with this? Dr. Oz expected to enter Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate Race UPDATE: He has formally announced his bid as a Republican in the PA Senate race (this despite his primary residence being in New Jersey) [https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/klart-magdalena-andersson-blir-sveriges-nya-statsminister Magdalena Andersson has been chosen by members of the Swedish Social Democrats to be their new leader and the Riksdagen to be next prime minister of Sweden, replacing Stefan Löfvén. This makes her Sweden's first female prime minister.] Update: [https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/forsta-kvinnliga-statsministern-dubbelt-historisk-avgar-inom-timmar-pa-posten Andersson has resigned as PM after 8 hours on the job, due the Green Party leaving the governing Red-Green coalition after the parliament chose the use of the budget of the opposing right-wing coalition. Now, Löfvén has been asked to be the caretaker prime minister.] Sean Parnell, a Trump backed choice for U.S. Senate, ends his campaign after losing custody of his children due to abuse claims by his estranged wife. After arresting the other candidates, dictator Daniel Ortega is reelected in Nicaragua. Argentina president suffers severe setback in midterm elections Due to demographic replacement, for the first time since 1948 there are no commies in the Czech parliment.

There may be trouble ahead... for Boris. After the death of the Southend MP David Amess, and Old Bexley and Sidcup MP James Brokenshire and the resignation of Shropshire MP Owen Paterson, another Tory MP could be forced out of the Commons. This time is it is Windsor MP Adam Afriyie, due to bankruptcy over an unpaid tax bill. Phil Murphy squeaks out Jack Ciattarelli to win a second term as Governor of New Jersey. Ciattarelli is yet to concede. Not anymore. Progressive Justin Bibb is the next mayor of Cleveland, beating moderate Kevin Kelley. Former NYPD officer and Democrat Eric Adams has been voted in as New York City's new mayor. Republican Glenn Youngkin has narrowly defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe in the race for governor in Virginia. Austin overwhelmingly votes against a ballot initiative that would have drastically increased the size of its police force but would have likely resulted in cuts to firefighting, libraries, medics, and other essential services. Democrat Ed Gainey becomes first black mayor of Pittsburgh. Voters in Boston have elected former City Councilor Michelle Wu as mayor, making her the city's first woman and person of color elected to the post.

October 2021
The Liberal Party of Australia has tabled a bill that, if passed, would require voters to present ID at the next Federal election. Given that most voter "fraud" in Australia consists of people having their name marked off the electoral roll more than once, with 2,102 cases out of just over 15 million votes at the 2019 election (or 0.0139% of the vote), 24 of which (0.00016% of the vote) were investigated by police, with no charges laid, which wouldn't be prevented by requiring someone to present ID anyway, there's questions being asked by opposition parties, Aboriginal and ethnic groups as to what purpose this bill actually serves beyond dealing with supposed "perceived" threats as it seems that it might just be being enacted in a subtle attempt to disenfranchise the latter two groups, who traditionally do not vote for the Liberals. Ron Watkins, former administrator of 8chan/8kun, announced he is running for Congress [https://thehill.com/policy/international/europe/577126-germanys-scholz-moves-closer-to-succeeding-merkel-with-coalition After some uncertainty, both the the Greens and the Free Democrats have agreed to enter formal coalition negotiations with the Social Democrats, putting Olaf Scholz and the German centre-left within reach of the chancellorship. The parties say they agree on matters such as strengthening the EU and stopping use of coal-fired power stations by 2030.] Coalition of centrists and pirates likely to form government after parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic Right-leaning independent Evan McMullin launches Senate campaign against ultra-conservative Mike Lee, which could actually make the race competitive

September 2021
Social Democrats win most seats in German election, which will most likely put an end to 16 years of Conservative control Swiss voters approve referendum which legalizes same-sex marriage in the country. It will come into force on July 1, 2022. Hyper-partisan audit finds that Biden won Maricopa County by 360 additional votes. However, multiple election experts have stated that the numbers are made-up, so the results should still be taken with a grain of salt. As part of a lawsuit by a former Dominion Voting System employee, an internal memo was made public that reveals the Trump campaign was aware that their "rigged election" claims were bullshit Liberals projected to win in Canadian election which will result in virtually no difference from the last election 2 years ago. Representative Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH-16), one of ten Republicans in the House who voted to impeach Trump, announces he will not run for reelection. Why the defeat of Morocco's Islamists doesn't really change anything in the country - all power sits with the King, and the appearance of democracy is a sop. Gavin Newsom wins the recall election Russian political opposition crushed ahead of managed elections. Norway's center-left heads to victory in parliamentary elections, with incumbent conservative PM conceding defeat in an campaign dominated by the issues of climate change and the kingdom's oil and gas exploration industry Larry Elder's campaign is promoting a website that claims the recall is over, Gavin Newsom won and that they found voter fraud through statistical analysis of the results. The problem? The election hasn't happened yet...  Islamists suffer crushing defeat, while the liberal party won the most seats.

August 2021
[https://thehill.com/regulation/569465-judge-orders-sanctions-against-sidney-powell-lin-wood-in-michigan-election Idiot Trumpist "Kraken" attorneys Lin Wood and Sidney Powell have been ordered by a federal judge to pay the legal fees of the Michigan election officials who they lodged spurious legal challenges against after the 2020 election. The judge also referred them to disciplinary authorities for investigation into the possibility of disbarment].

After an order from the state Supreme Court, roughly 56,000 North Carolina residents convicted of felonies but who aren't in prison are now able to register to vote. Mike Lindell, Jan 2021: "I want [Dominion] to sue me. Please. Because I have all the evidence, 100%. I want all the American people and the world to see the horrific things that these machines are capable of." Mike Lindell, Apr 2021: umm, so, Dominion sued me I don't want them to sue me judge can you dismiss it plz plz plz Judge Carl Nichols, now: [https://www.businessinsider.com/mike-lindell-ran-off-stage-cyber-symposium-dominions-lawsuit-proceed-2021-8 Nope. Motion to dismiss denied.] Rumours are running around that Justin Trudeau is asking the governor general to suspend parliament and called elections for the 20th September. Polling has put the Grits way ahead of the Tories by 37% to 28%. With the other parties; the Dippers are 20%, the Greens are on 5%, the Bloc is on 5% and the PPC is 4%. Update: It is official, the 44th general election is going to be on September 20th. [https://www.politico.eu/article/german-greens-sit-out-vote-saarland-federal-election-2021/ The Green Party will be excluded from the ballot in Saarland during the upcoming Bundestag election in September due to alleged irregularities surrounding its last-minute switch of its lead regional candidate. The AfD, meanwhile, has won the right to appear on the ballot in Bremen despite a regional party official there refusing to swear to abide by electoral law].

July 2021
The party of the current pro-European president Maia Sandu has declared victory against her pro-Russian rival in Moldova's general election. The centre-right PAS party is leading with 49% of the vote against the left-wing populist BeCS party's 30%. Irish local election candidate and national embarrassment, Dolores Cahill denied entry to the election count centre due to her refusal to wear a mask full video here (note, includes some bonkers expressions from the loopy Nordy, Alisa Keane.) Possible non geo-locked but edit footage here and in case the garda's inner city Dublin accent is hard to understand, he says "And less than David Beckham" at the end (Updated link, full Irish Times video uploaded here Taking Trump's cue, Bolsonaro clouds vote with fraud claims   Law professor and Labour Party senator Ivana Bacik has won the Dublin Bay South by election. Taoiseach Micheál Martin's Fianna Fáil candidate come in fifth place, leading to questions about his leadership of the party. Note: RationalWiki'ers would like to know that COVID denialist Dolores Carhill and far-right nationalist Justin Barratt both dropped out after the third recount, having getting less than 200 votes each. The US is so politically polarized that vaccination is now an accurate predictor of election results The Labour Party narrowly holds the Batley and Spen seat in the parliamentary by-election, an election they were expected to lose.

June 2021
Ultraconservative hardliner Ebrahim Raisi wins the Iranian presidential election Traditional social democratic and conservative parties hold sway in the first round of France's regional elections, as support for Macron's LREM and Le Pen's far-right National Rally (formerly National Front) parties cratered. ‘Italygate’ 2020 presidential election conspiracy theory was pushed by two firms led by woman who also falsely claimed $30 million mansion was hers Despite being in one of the traditionally deepest blue Conservative seats in the country, the Liberal Democrats have won the seat of Chesham and Amersham in Buckinghamshire by turning over 16 000 votes. Labour came in fourth place, nearly losing their deposit. Newly elected DUP leader Edwin Poots resigns 21 days into the job following a party rebellion.

Four candidates have got enough nominations to stand for the election as leader for the UK's biggest private-sector trade union Unite, replacing left-wing firebrand Len McCluskey. They are Corbynites Sharon Graham and Howard Beckett, left-winger Steve Turner, and Starmerite Gerard Coyne. Sandinista dictator Daniel Ortega came up with a brilliant plan to win the election in November: arrest the other candidates. has been nominated by DUP leader Edwin Poots, to replace Arlene Foster as First Minister of Northern Ireland. [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/06/angela-merkels-cdu-beats-far-right-in-crucial-german-state-election Angela Merkel’s CDU beats AfD in crucial German state election. Conservative win in Saxony-Anhalt seen as last big test ahead of national election in September.] First parliamentary elections in Somaliland since 2005 gives a plurality win for the big tent populist Waddani party Former Leader Izhak Herzog is the new President of Israel. Democrat Melanie Stanbury wins by 24 points in the special election for New Mexico's 1st District

May 2021
Dictator Bashar al-Assad wins the thoroughly democratic presidential election for a fourth term, winning 95.1% of the vote More than half of Republican Party voters, 53 percent, said they think Donald Trump is currently the "true president" of the United States, not Joe Biden, a new poll shows. Samoan election results remain uncertain as previous government pulls in all its "favours" to avoid leaving office Samoa gets its first ever woman prime minister. The election of the Wiltshire police and crime commissioner has been thrown into disarray, and a possible costly re-run, after it transpired that the winner, Tory candidate Jonathon Seed, had failed to disclose a drink-driving conviction in 1993, which disqualifies him from the post. How an obscure security firm outside Dallas helped convince Americans the 2020 election was stolen from Trump "King of the North" Andy Burnham has been re-elected as the mayor of Greater Manchester with a two-thirds of the votes going to him, also Labour has won the Liverpool, West of England [Bristol and Somerset] and Cambridgeshire & Peterborough mayoralties. Labour's Sadiq Khan is reelected as Mayor of London. The SNP [https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-57038039 win their fourth consecutive victory in the Scottish Parliament. Leader Nicola Sturgeon wants another referendum on independence after the pandemic is over.] Labour is set to stay in power in Wales after matching its best ever election result. Battered by covid-19, Narendra Modi is humiliated by Indian voters Here's a non paywall version The lawyer for one of the domestic terrorists charged with the Jan 6th insurrection claims his client was suffering from "foxmania," and started believing what was being fed to him. Tories win in Hartlepool byelection, in what looks to be a sweeping landslide for the right-wing in the local elections

April 2021
The US now has the new house and electoral college numbers from the. Outcome: TX: +2 seats. CO, FL, NC, MT, OR: +1 seat. CA, IL, MI, NY, OH, PA, WV: -1 seat. Conservative trans activist Caitlyn Jenner is running for California Governor in this year's recall election, though the recall petition, currently standing at more than two million signatures, is yet to be verified Samoa elections end in a tie between the Human Rights Protection Party, which has governed the country since 1982, and the new FAST party. With a perfect tie, it leaves the newly elected independent as king-maker Second round of the Peruvian presidential. Candidates are the far-left Pedro Castillo, a Marxist-Leninist that supports North Korea and Hugo Chávez, but also fights same-sex marriage and “gender ideology”, and the far-right Keiko Fujimori, daughter of the former dictator Alberto Fujimori, who supports his legacy. Neoliberal politician Guillermo Lasso wins the presidential election in Ecuador. He will be inaugurated on 24 May.

March 2021
Former SNP leader and Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond announces he’s forming a new party that will stand in the May Scottish parliament election, presumably standing against SNP candidates. Salmond has been at war with his former SNP colleagues for months, accusing them of mishandling abuse accusations made against him in an effort to destroy him. Republican nutjob, and Confederate wannabe, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, says people shouldn't be allowed to vote on a Sunday, because the US currency says "In God We Trust." [https://apnews.com/article/israel-elections-benjamin-netanyahu-exit-polls-6fc44df2043b04b1b823a45d6d508859 Israeli elections will send some far-right racist and homophobic parties to the Knesset, which will very likely play into Netanyahu's strategy to form a coalition government. Among the shit they support are segregated maternity wards and religious law]. [https://www.npr.org/2021/03/24/980737436/continuing-deadlock-as-netanyahu-lacks-votes-to-win-israeli-election Nobody has won the newest round of Israeli elections, as neither Netanyahu nor any of the opposition parties seem to have a viable path to a 61-seat coalition. Deadlock and a fifth round of elections seem likely]. Sidney "Kraken" Powell tries to get the defamation suit against her thrown out, by claiming that no reasonable person would've believed the stuff she made up in numerous court filings and news conferences. Which seems to be the very definition of defamation. Trifecta for conservatives: in a single day, three Republicans announce their bids for the 2022 midterms: Georgia rep. Jody Hice is primarying Raffensperger, former Missouri governor Eric Greitens is running to succeed retiring moron Roy Blunt, and Mo Brooks is running for Senate. Mark Rutte's VVD holds onto power, in a coalition government, following the recent Dutch general election, with gains for the pro-European D66 party, and a decline for Geert Wilders' bunch of racists. The ruling Labor Party in West Australia sees a massive shift in its favour in the state election held 13 March. It increased its numbers in the 59 member house from 40 to 53, with a corresponding rout for the conservative opposition. The No Mandatory Vaccination party received 1.5% of votes and 0 seats. The Labor government had instituted a strong response to the covid crisis in 2020, which proved popular with the masses. The entire staff of the Nevada Democratic Party resigns (and takes all the funds) after the DSA slate won in the leadership election, after spending the entire campaign accusing the left of seeking to divide the party

[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/mar/06/laurence-fox-joins-london-mayoral-race-on-anti-lockdown-ticket Alt-right actor Laurence Fox has announced he is standing for Mayor of London under an anti-lockdown ticket. Much of the funding of his campaign comes from hedge fund manager Jeremy Hosking.] leaves and either join the eurosceptic ECR or the nationalist Identity and democracy. Donald Trump dismisses as "fake news" [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56230998 the idea that he is going to start a new party and strongly hints that he will run for President again in 2024. And the lying bloody git still insists he won the November 2020 election.]

February 2021
Anti-semitic conspiracy wingnut Rick Wiles teases a 2024 presidential run based on a populist platform of seizing the wealth of billionaires and distribute it directly to the poor Mike Lindell sued for $1.3 billion, by Dominion Voting Systems. At least 35 Capitol police officers are under investigation for their role in the January 6th terrorist attack on Congress. Separatists grow majority in Catalonia regional parliament, despite the pro-union winning the most votes out of any single party. Republicans came within 90,000 votes of controlling all of Washington John Fetterman, the current PA Lieutenent Governor and a noted progressive, launches Senate bid. [https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-55938380 Local elections will go ahead in England and Wales in May in spite of the pandemic. There will be hand sanitizer in polling booths and voters will have to bring their own pens or pencils.] "Lawyers" Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, along with Fox News hosts Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro, named as defendants in $2.7 billion defamation suit, brought by election technology company Smartmatic. Lin Wood, the batshit insane Trump lawyer, who led the charge to have election results overturned, because of "election fraud," [https://www.wsbtv.com/news/politics/exclusive-attorney-lin-wood-under-investigation-over-whether-he-voted-illegally-november-officials-say/FIMPMEJHFFFBBA66O5P5QEY25E/ under investigation for... election fraud.]

January 2021
Florida man's legal team quits, weeks ahead of his second Senate impeachment trial. Arizona GOP lawmaker introduces bill to give legislature power to toss out election results Rudy Giuliani facing a $1.3 billion defamation suit from Dominion Voting Systems. Portuguese presidential election: According to exit polls incumbent center-right Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa wins with 57-62% of the votes, outpacing the Socialist candidate Ana Gomes wins 13-16% while the far right candidate André Ventura wins 9-12% The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published an editorial calling on Senator Ron Johnson to either resign or be expelled. He asked for space to respond, which he was provided - along with footnotes providing context and pointing out his lies. More lawsuits! Former renowned Birther Orly Taitz has filed a new lawsuit in California attempting to argue that Trump's impeachment is unconstitutional. [https://twitter.com/questauthority/status/1352395399261257735 It's... not great.] Disgraced General Michael Flynn's brother, General Charles Flynn was involved in the decision not to deploy the National Guard to Washington, following the terrorist attack by Trump's supporters. Trump takes last opportunities to screw the public by extending Secret Service protection for family members, and undoes pretty much the one measure that probably did actually help "drain the swamp". Setback for woo-pushers and dangerous COVID denialists: According to a study, misinformation about election fraud fell by 73% after social media crackdown on QAnon and assorted crooks The Dutch cabinet has collapsed over the childcare allowance scandal. The Dutch Tax Authority had been incorrect in marking childcare allowances as fraud, causing thousands of parents to be marked as fraudsters. This had occurred in the current cabinet and the previous cabinet. One of the coalition party leaders from the previous cabinet resigned earlier this week over the matter. Lauren Boebert, the QAnon-loving, gun-toting freshman GOP Congresswoman, who allegedly live tweeted Nancy Pelosi's position, during the recent Capitol terrorist attack, has had her Twitter account locked. Add YouTube to the list of platforms that have banned Trump. Twitter finally bans Trump's account. The White House revokes access for Marc Short, Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff. Dominion Voting Systems sues Trump lawyer Sidney "Kraken" Powell for $1.3 billion in damages. Facebook bans Trump on its platforms at least until the end of his term. The Senate confirmation of Electoral College votes is interrupted and the Senate evacuated when an angry mob of Donald Trump supporters storm the Capitol. Polls have indicated that both Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock have won by a knifepoint, the two Georgian seats in the Senate. If so the Senate would flip to Democrat control. In a recorded call, Trump urges Georgia's Secretary of State to "find" more Trump votes GOP Representative Gohmert says violence is only recourse after the courts threw out the bullshit lawsuits Trump's lawyer, Lin Wood, decides to bolster his chances of having his petition before SCOTUS heard, by accusing Chief Justice Roberts of being a murderous paedophile.