Ballot to Talk About

Sam and Chern look back at results from the recent General Election in Croatia and look ahead to the upcoming electoral contest in South Africa. In Croatia, Andrej Plenković’s HDZ have topped the polls again, but will need to find some allies to remain in Government. Why have the HDZ been so dominant in Croatian politics, and why have they fallen back this time? Why was the SDP and Zoran Milanovic unable to oust the HDZ? And what issues dominated the campaign? In South Africa, why do the ANC look likely to fall short of an overall majority for the first time since the end of Apartheid? What impact will Jacob Zuma have on this contest? And why have the Democratic Alliance so far been unable to capitalise on ANC setbacks? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.

Sam and Chern look back at results from the recent state election in Tasmania, Australia, and the parliamentary election in South Korea. In Tasmania, Jeremy Rockliff’s Liberals won a historic fourth term, but what will be the consequences of losing their overall majority? Did the change in National Assembly make-up make a big difference? Should Labor be disappointed, and was Rebecca White a personal drag on the campaign? In South Korea, will a repeat Democratic Party landslide be a big problem for President Yoon Suk Yeol? How did the Opposition pull off such a big result again? And why were Green Onions such a big campaign feature? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.

Sam and Chern look back at results from Portugal’s General Election and look ahead to next week’s state election in Tasmania, Australia. In Portugal, Luis Montenegro’s Democratic Alliance topped the polls, but have a difficult decision to make in finding a governing partner. What will the eventual government look like, and will Chega play a formal role in it? Did the Socialists overperform, and why did the Democratic Alliance fail to fully capitalise on Socialist dysfunction? In Tasmania, the Liberals are eyeing up a fourth term, but will the change in overall legislative seat count make that a tricky objective? Is it third time lucky for Rebecca White and the Labor Party? And what will be the role of Independents in the election results and government formation? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.

Sam and Chern look back at results from Indonesia’s General Election and look ahead to next week’s snap parliamentary election in Portugal. In Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto has won a commanding victory in one round, but what motivated this big victory? Did Jokowi’s tacit endorsement make the difference? And why was there a disparity between the presidential and legislative election results as things stand? In Portugal, why are voters back at the polls just two years after the Socialist majority was obtained? What will the role of Chega be, and are they heading into government? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.

Sam and Chern look back on results from the contested

Sam and Chern dive into results from the first two primary contests in the US presidential election, and preview the upcoming General Election in Indonesia. In the US, is a Biden-Trump rematch now inevitable, and is the primary season finished before it even really got started? Is there a viable path left for Nikki Haley? And are there any signs for concern for Donald Trump as he emerges from this contested primary? In Indonesia, what is Joko Widodo’s legacy as he vacates the presidency? Why is Prabowo Subianto the favourite heading into the Valentine’s Day poll? And why is Jokowi seemingly backing an opposition candidate above his own party? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.

Sam and Chern look at results from Taiwan’s elections as the first electoral event of 2024, and comment on recent electoral events in Bangladesh. In Taiwan, how did Lai Ching-te win a third consecutive presidential term for the DPP? Given the strength of the third candidate, did the Opposition miss an opportunity to recapture the presidency? Why did Kuomintang do much better in the legislative elections? And given Beijing’s attention on this election, what will be the potential geopolitical consequences? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.

This week’s episode looks ahead to the year 2024 in politics and elections, discussing the polls to look out for and the themes we might be talking about as the year rolls on. 2024 is a huge year for democracy, with 75% of the world’s democracies and 50% of the global population going to the ballot box. Amongst others, the US, the UK, India, Mexico, Indonesia and South Africa will all be holding national elections. This week, Sam and Chern preview the electoral calendar, picking out some highlights and previewing some stories that are likely to define the political year region by region. Will 2024 be a year of change as multiple incumbents look vulnerable heading into this cycle?

This week’s episode takes a look back at 2023 in politics with Sam and Chern talking through their annual series of awards. What was the most consequential election of the year and the biggest surprise? Did THAT really happen in 2023? Who was the worst politician this year? And which politicians should we be looking out for in 2024 and beyond? All these questions and more answered in this episode.

Sam and Chern look at results from six Indian state elections from the second half of 2023, including Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Which are the most significant results from this year? Why is the BJP strong in the North and Congress better-placed in the Southern states? Have any of these results altered the narrative ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha election? And is Modi on track for a historic third term? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.