Elections we’re set to see in North and South America this year

There are various elections taking place across both the North and South American continents this year, including congressional elections in the world’s largest economy, the United States of America.

With Trump’s recent military action in Venezuela, leading to the arrest of President Maduro, the region’s political situation finds itself in a unique position. 

Candidates in the elections across South America will be expected by their electorates to lay out how they will respond to Trump.

Meanwhile, elections in Canada will likely see candidates continue to discuss how they will respond to Trump’s tariffs in an economically suitable manner. 

Canada

Canada is holding some very important general and municipal elections. 

Quebec is holding a general election for its National Assembly – currently controlled by Coalition Avenir Québec, who are on track for an almost complete wipeout.

Municipal elections are also taking place in British Columbia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Manitoba.

Brazil

October will be the month of both the Brazilian general election and the Brazilian gubernatorial election. 

The general election will see all 513 seats of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies up for grabs as well as 54 of the 81 seats in the federal senate. 

With so many political parties, it is difficult to predict which party will come out on top and by what margin in these elections. 

Meanwhile, an obvious front runner for the presidential election has emerged, the incumbent president, Lula, who is polling between 37.6% and 48.8% in the polls, placing him firmly ahead of the Liberal party candidate Bolsonaro, who trails behind in the polls at around 19% to 29.3% in the polls.

United States     

By far the most significant election taking place in 2026 is the mid-term elections taking place across the United States. 

With all 450 congressional districts up for election and 35 senators up for election (33 usual and 2 special due to Rubio and Vance’s appointments to the executive). 

Trump’s recent military action in Venezuela merely adds to a long list of existing controversial policy decisions; many former Republican voters will be looking at other options to weaken the administration’s grip on the nation’s legislative agenda.

For Trump, poor results at these elections could spell catastrophe. Losing control of the House of Representatives or Senate could leave Trump in a far weaker position. With increased threats of impeachment, legislative blocks and scrutiny. 

Current polling makes the election very difficult to predict. Whilst some pollsters predict the democrats to make significant gains, potentially winning a further 16 seats, other pollsters have the democrats predicted to only gain one more seat. But with some polls showing that 14% of US voters are undecided, it’s all to play for.

Colombia

Colombia has made the news recently after Trump has threatened the nation with the same action as initiated in Venezuela. Voters in the South American nation are set to go to the polls in just a few months time, firstly for a parliamentary election in March followed by a Presidential election set to take place in May.

The nation’s incumbent president, President Gustavo Petro, is barred from seeking reelection due to constitutional laws meaning presidents cannot run two consecutive terms. 

There are a variety of candidates set to put their names forward in the election, but no single candidate has yet succeeded in positioning themselves as a solid frontrunner in the election. However, Progressive candidate, Iván Cepeda currently leads the polls.

What will these elections mean for the UK?

On the whole, other than the US presidential election, which will have a substantial impact across the globe, much of these elections in the Americas will have very little impact on the UK. 

Although goods from these regions are used in British industry and by British consumers, they are not used on a substantial scale, therefore mitigating the impact of the elections on the UK. 

List of all elections in the Americas in 2026: