Ballot to Talk About

Sam and Chern turn their attention to Latin America and two presidential elections – the concluded two rounds in Guatemala and the upcoming second round in Ecuador. Bernardo Arévalo became the surprise winner in Guatemala, but how did he overcome the institutional opposition? And why did three-time runner-up Sandra Torres fail to cross the line again? In Ecuador, as Daniel Noboa and Luisa Gonzalez prepare for an October run-off, who is best placed to win? And why is Ecuador in election mode two years ahead of schedule? All these questions and more answered in this episode.

This week Sam and Chern discuss the 2022-23 term of the US Supreme Court and some of the most consequential decisions made. How can the Roberts Court be assessed relative to the last term that saw the momentous Dobbs vs Jackson ruling? What are some of the most important and interesting cases? Is this Court a truly Conservative one? And why are the Republican-appointees so seemingly split on voting rights cases?

As we reach the halfway point in 2023, Sam and Chern also look back on the first half of the year in politics. What have been the most interesting and consequential elections so far? And what lies in store for the remainder of 2023? All these questions, and more, answered in this week's podcast.

Sam and Chern look back at results from the two recent Greek parliamentary elections that saw the re-election of Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ New Democracy party in emphatic style. Despite comfortably topping the polls in May, why did Mitsotakis trigger an immediate re-run of the election? And how did New Democracy overcome the various scandals and policy issues plaguing them in the last term? What’s next for Aléxis Tsípras, Syriza and PASOK as they contest to be the main left-wing opposition in Greece? And why did this election see the entry of three far-right parties into the Hellenic Parliament? All these questions and more answered in this episode.

This week Sam and Chern discuss recent electoral results in Montenegro before diving into the early days of the 2024 Republican presidential primary in the US. In Montenegro, what has motivated opposition wins in the presidential and parliamentary elections this year? What has caused the dramatic fall in support for long-term leader Milo Đukanović? And what will the eventual Government look like after Jakov Milatovic's Europe Now fell short of a majority?

In the US, despite Iowa being 8 months away, the Republican primary is beginning to heat up, but is Donald Trump’s win already inevitable? This podcast unpacks the state of the race and the other runners and riders. Is Ron DeSantis still the best-positioned candidate to win if Donald Trump falters? What other US elections are to look forward to in 2023? And why was Janet Protasiewicz’s win in Wisconsin so significant? All these questions, and more, answered in this week's podcast.

Sam and Chern look back at results from the mammoth set of regional elections in Spain last month and look ahead to the surprise snap General Election in July. Why did the Peoples Party do so well across the Spanish Autonomous Communities? Did the Socialist Party have a worse than expected night? Why did Pedro Sanchez call a snap election in the wake of widespread losses? What will be the impact of the fractious Sumar alliance? And is Alberto Núñez Feijóo the favourite to be Spain’s next Prime Minister? All these questions and more answered in this episode.

This week Sam and Chern discuss results from the second round of Turkey’s presidential election, and the provincial election in Alberta, Canada. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has won another five year term following his first ever run-off election, but after the results of the first round, was this inevitable? How did Erdoğan win? What’s next for the Opposition and Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu as they head into the 2024 local elections? And what might the democratic consequences be?

In Alberta, Danielle Smith’s United Conservatives, despite losing seats, have obtained another majority, but the NDP will form the largest opposition in

This week Sam and Chern discuss results from the local elections in Northern Ireland and the new Cabinet in Queensland, Australia. With an election expected late next year, Anastasia Palaszczuk has reshuffled her team in an attempt to reset her government. What are the notable appointments? Will it provide the reset she is looking for? And is it an admission that the government has been struggling recently?

In Northern Ireland, Sinn Fein has become the largest party in local government for the first time, but where are their new votes coming from? Do these results

This week Sam and Chern discuss results from two elections last week – the first round of Turkey’s presidential election, and the momentous parliamentary

As Turkish voters prepare to return to the polls for the second round of their presidential election, this podcast discusses whether Recep Tayyip Erdoğan holds an insurmountable lead. Why did Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu underperform relative to opinion polls, and was his candidacy flawed from the beginning? What could explain the long term strength of Erdoğan? And what will the second round have in store? All these questions, and more, answered in this week's podcast.

This week Sam and Chern look at results from Paraguay’s recent Presidential Election and looks ahead to this month’s bumper day of Regional Elections in Spain. Santiago Peña won the presidency to continue the dominance of the Colorado Party, but why did this buck the recent trend in South America? And why do the Opposition continue to struggle to stop the Colorado Party success?

As Spain prepares for 12 of its autonomous communities to go to the polls, this week also pinpoints some of the key races to watch ahead of a Winter General