Ballot to Talk About

In this week’s episode, Sam and Chern break down results from the off-cycle elections in the United States, and provincial elections in both Newfoundland and Labrador and Yukon. In the US, after a Democratic sweep of off-cycle polls, what does this mean for the 2026 midterms? Why did Spanberger and Sherrill perform so well in Virginia and New Jersey respectively? And what were some other notable local results? In Canada, why did incumbent governments lose in both Yukon and Newfoundland? And what are common denominators for regional Liberal Partys as they are left with just one Premier nationally? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.

In this week’s episode, Sam and Chern break down resultsfrom Bolivia’s presidential election, and also the changing of the guard in Japan with their new Prime Minister. In Bolivia, why did the two decades of Movement for Socialism rule come to an abrupt end? How did Rodrigo Paz win the presidency? And what will this ideological shift mean for the region and their geopolitical relationships? And in Japan, can Sanae Takaichi become a more sustainable Prime Minister and turn the LDP fortunes around? Why did Komeito break their coalition agreement? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.

In this week’s episode, Sam and Chern dissect results fromtwo parliamentary elections in Eastern Europe – in both Czechia and Moldova. In Czechia, Andrej Babis looks set to return his ANO party to power, but how did they oust Fiala’s one-term Government? What will the impact on the EU be? And how stable will any future coalition be? In Moldova, how did Maia Sandu’s PAS win a second consecutive majority? How will this affect Moldova’s EU aspirations? And why was the opposition unable to capitalise on poor economic outcomes? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.

In this week’s episode, Sam and Chern preview the upcoming off-cycle elections in the United States. As Virginia and New Jersey look to elect new Governors, they dissect the national political environment and the state of the races. Are Democrats well-positioned to take back the Virginia Governor’s Mansion? Is New Jersey becoming a swing state after the narrower presidential contest there? In New York City, is Zohran Mamdani poised to win, despite Independent runs? And what is the state of the 2026 midterm races with one year to go? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.

In this week’s episode, Sam and Chern break down results from recent elections in Jamaica and Norway. As Andrew Holness wins a record third term for the Jamaican Labour Party, how did they inflict a successive defeat on the PNP? Why was turnout so low? In Norway, how did Jonas Gahr Støre turn around the Labour Party’s fortunes? Why did the Progress Party beat the Conservatives into third place? And what will a coalition Government look like? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.

In this week’s episode, Sam and Chern break down results from recent elections in Japan and Tasmania, as well as looking ahead to what is to come in the second half of 2025. In Japan, how long is Shigeru Ishiba going to survive after losing the LDP majority in the Upper House? And in Tasmania,how did Jeremy Rockliff’s Liberal Party survive the snap election and negotiate a fragile crossbench minority? And as the Summer comes to end, we look ahead to the elections to come in Autumn/Winter. With a suite of elections in Europe and the Americas, what are the most consequential contests to look out for? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.

In this week’s episode, Sam and Chern analyse results from two snap elections on opposite sides of the world – one in Portugal and one in South Korea. As Luis Montenegro is returned as Prime Minister with an enhanced minority Government, how did he manage to retain office? What will CHEGA’s expansion mean for Portuguese politics? And in South Korea, why was it second time lucky for Lee Jae-myung? Did the Reform candidate cause problems for the incumbent PPP? And will either of these elections solve their country’s political stability problems? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.

In this week’s episode, Sam and Chern break down the results from a pair of European Presidential Elections in Romania and Poland. In Romania’s re-run of their Presidential contest, Nicusor Dan has defeated George Simion, but how did Dan beat his nationalist rival? Why was the election re-run from 2024? And how will this impact Romania’s domestic government? In Poland, PiS-backed Karol Nawrocki has won the presidency in a blow to Donald Tusk’s Civic Platform. How did Nawrocki win? And what will be the impact of both elections be on the European Union? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.

In this week’s special episode, Sam and Chern convene in person to dissect the UK Local Election results and the outcome of the parliamentary election in Albania. In the UK, as Reform UK made significant gains, is the UK party system changing? How do the Conservatives and Labour respond? And what were some of the significant Councils and Mayoral contests? In Albania, how did Edi Rama’s Socialists win a fourth term? What can the Opposition do next? And is the EU by 2030 objective realistic? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.

This week Sam and Chern review the results from Australia’s Federal Election. Anthony Albanese has led his Labor Party to a surprise landslide victory, but where was this election won? What is next for the Liberal Party as they seek a new leader? How did Independents and minor parties fare, and did they underperform relative to expectations? And how will this landslide majority govern? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.