Elections Under Fire

Every election in the atlas held while the country was fighting a major war, from Lincoln's 1864 re-election mid-Civil War and Britain's coupon election of 1918 to Israel's wartime ballots and Russia's 2024 ritual. Voting during wartime is democracy's hardest test; here is every time it was taken.

218 wartime ballots · 135 held as free contests · 53 major wars

free contest restricted or tilted unfree ritual

Russo-Ukrainian War (2014–present)

Flag of UkraineUkraine 2014— Petro Poroshenko BlocFlag of UkraineUkraine 2014 presidential— Petro PoroshenkoFlag of RussiaRussia 2016— United RussiaFlag of RussiaRussia 2018 presidential— Vladimir PutinFlag of UkraineUkraine 2019— Servant of the PeopleFlag of UkraineUkraine 2019 presidential— Volodymyr ZelenskyyFlag of RussiaRussia 2021— United RussiaFlag of RussiaRussia 2024 presidential— Vladimir Putin

War in Iraq (2013–2017)civil war

Flag of IraqIraq 2014— State of Law CoalitionFlag of IraqIraq 2014 presidential— Fuad Masum

Gaza–Israel conflict (2006–present)

Flag of IsraelIsrael 2006— KadimaFlag of IsraelIsrael 2009— KadimaFlag of IsraelIsrael 2013— Likud Yisrael BeiteinuFlag of IsraelIsrael 2015— LikudFlag of IsraelIsrael April 2019— LikudFlag of IsraelIsrael September 2019— Blue and WhiteFlag of IsraelIsrael 2020— LikudFlag of IsraelIsrael 2021— LikudFlag of IsraelIsrael 2022— Likud

Iraq War (2003–2011)

Flag of AustraliaAustralia 2004— Liberal–National CoalitionFlag of United StatesUnited States 2004— George W. BushFlag of IraqIraq January 2005— United Iraqi AllianceFlag of IraqIraq December 2005— United Iraqi AllianceFlag of PolandPoland 2005— Law and JusticeFlag of PolandPoland 2005 presidential— Lech KaczyńskiFlag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom 2005— LabourFlag of AustraliaAustralia 2007— LaborFlag of PolandPoland 2007— Civic PlatformFlag of United StatesUnited States 2008— Barack ObamaFlag of AustraliaAustralia 2010— LaborFlag of IraqIraq 2010— Iraqi National MovementFlag of PolandPoland 2010 presidential— Bronisław KomorowskiFlag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom 2010— ConservativeFlag of PolandPoland 2011— Civic Platform

Second Chechen War (1999–2000)

Flag of RussiaRussia 1999— CPRFFlag of RussiaRussia 2000 presidential— Vladimir Putin

Eritrean–Ethiopian War (1998–2000)

Flag of EthiopiaEthiopia 2000— Oromo People's Democratic Organization

War in Abkhazia (1992–1993)

Flag of RussiaRussia 1993— Independents

1982 Lebanon War (1982–1985)

Flag of IsraelIsrael 1984— Alignment

Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988)

Flag of IranIran 1980— IndependentsFlag of IranIran 1980 presidential— Abolhassan BanisadrFlag of IraqIraq 1980— Ba'ath PartyFlag of United StatesUnited States 1980— Ronald ReaganFlag of IranIran July 1981 presidential— Mohammad-Ali RajaiFlag of IranIran October 1981 presidential— Ali KhameneiFlag of IranIran 1984— IndependentsFlag of IraqIraq 1984— Ba'ath PartyFlag of United StatesUnited States 1984— Ronald ReaganFlag of IranIran 1985 presidential— Ali KhameneiFlag of IranIran 1988— UnknownFlag of United StatesUnited States 1988— George H. W. Bush

Soviet–Afghan War (1979–1989)

Flag of PakistanPakistan 1985— IndependentsFlag of PakistanPakistan 1988— Pakistan Peoples Party

Cambodian–Vietnamese War (1978–1989)

Flag of ThailandThailand 1979— Social Action PartyFlag of VietnamVietnam 1981— Vietnamese Fatherland FrontFlag of ThailandThailand 1983— Social Action PartyFlag of ThailandThailand 1986— Democrat PartyFlag of VietnamVietnam 1987— Vietnamese Fatherland FrontFlag of ThailandThailand 1988— Thai Nation Party

Western Sahara War (1975–1991)

Flag of MoroccoMorocco 1977— IndependentsFlag of FranceFrance 1978— RPRFlag of FranceFrance 1981— PSFlag of FranceFrance 1981 presidential— François MitterrandFlag of MoroccoMorocco 1984— Constitutional UnionFlag of FranceFrance 1986— UORFlag of FranceFrance 1988— PSFlag of FranceFrance 1988 presidential— François Mitterrand

Yom Kippur War (1973)

Flag of IsraelIsrael 1973— Alignment

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 (1971)

Flag of IndiaIndia 1971— Indian National Congress (R)

Vietnam War (1965–1973)

Flag of PhilippinesPhilippines 1965 presidential— Ferdinand E. MarcosFlag of AustraliaAustralia 1966— Liberal–Country CoalitionFlag of New ZealandNew Zealand 1966— NationalFlag of South KoreaSouth Korea 1967— Democratic Republican PartyFlag of South KoreaSouth Korea 1967 presidential— Park Chung HeeFlag of United StatesUnited States 1968— Richard NixonFlag of AustraliaAustralia 1969— Liberal–Country CoalitionFlag of New ZealandNew Zealand 1969— NationalFlag of PhilippinesPhilippines 1969 presidential— Ferdinand MarcosFlag of ThailandThailand 1969— United Thai People's PartyFlag of South KoreaSouth Korea 1971— Democratic Republican PartyFlag of South KoreaSouth Korea 1971 presidential— Park Chung HeeFlag of VietnamVietnam 1971— Vietnamese Fatherland FrontFlag of AustraliaAustralia 1972— LaborFlag of New ZealandNew Zealand 1972— LabourFlag of South KoreaSouth Korea 1972 presidential— Park Chung-heeFlag of United StatesUnited States 1972— Richard NixonFlag of South KoreaSouth Korea 1973— Democratic Republican Party

Korean War [ 9 ] (1950–1953)

Flag of BelgiumBelgium 1950— Christian Social PartyFlag of GreeceGreece 1950— People's PartyFlag of South KoreaSouth Korea 1950— IndependentsFlag of TurkeyTurkey 1950— Democrat PartyFlag of TurkeyTurkey 1950 presidential— Celâl BayarFlag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom 1950— LabourFlag of AustraliaAustralia 1951— Liberal–Country CoalitionFlag of ColombiaColombia 1951— Colombian Conservative PartyFlag of FranceFrance 1951— Rally of the French PeopleFlag of GreeceGreece 1951— Greek RallyFlag of New ZealandNew Zealand 1951— NationalFlag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom 1951— ConservativeFlag of GreeceGreece 1952— Greek RallyFlag of NetherlandsNetherlands 1952— PvdAFlag of South KoreaSouth Korea 1952 presidential— Syngman RheeFlag of ThailandThailand 1952— IndependentsFlag of United StatesUnited States 1952— Dwight D. EisenhowerFlag of CanadaCanada 1953— LiberalFlag of ColombiaColombia 1953— Colombian Conservative PartyFlag of PhilippinesPhilippines 1953 presidential— Ramon MagsaysayFlag of South AfricaSouth Africa 1953— National Party

1948 Arab–Israeli War (1948–1949)

Flag of IraqIraq 1948— IndependenceFlag of IsraelIsrael 1949— Mapai

World War II (1939–1945)

Flag of BelgiumBelgium 1939— Catholic PartyFlag of DenmarkDenmark 1939— Social Democratic PartyFlag of FinlandFinland 1939— Social Democratic PartyFlag of HungaryHungary 1939— Party of Hungarian LifeFlag of RomaniaRomania 1939— National Renaissance FrontFlag of United StatesUnited States 1940— Franklin D. RooseveltFlag of JapanJapan 1942— Taisei YokusankaiFlag of DenmarkDenmark 1943— Social DemocratsFlag of HungaryHungary 1944— Hungarian Communist PartyFlag of United StatesUnited States 1944— Franklin D. RooseveltFlag of DenmarkDenmark 1945— Social DemocratsFlag of FinlandFinland 1945— Social Democratic PartyFlag of FranceFrance 1945— French Communist PartyFlag of HungaryHungary 1945— Independent Smallholders PartyFlag of NorwayNorway 1945— Labour PartyFlag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom 1945— Labour

Winter War (1939–1940)

Flag of FinlandFinland 1939— Social Democratic Party

Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945)

Flag of JapanJapan 1937— Rikken MinseitōFlag of RussiaRussia 1937— All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks)Flag of United StatesUnited States 1940— Franklin D. RooseveltFlag of JapanJapan 1942— Taisei YokusankaiFlag of United StatesUnited States 1944— Franklin D. RooseveltFlag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom 1945— Labour

Spanish Civil War (1936–1939)civil war

Flag of SpainSpain 1936— PSOE

Chinese Civil War (1927–1950)civil war

Flag of ChinaChina 1st CPPCC

Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)

Flag of GreeceGreece 1920— United OppositionFlag of RussiaRussia 1921Flag of RussiaRussia 1922— RKP(b)Flag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom 1922— Conservative

Polish–Soviet War (1919–1921)

Flag of PolandPoland 1919— Popular National UnionFlag of RussiaRussia 1921

Russian Civil War (1917–1922)civil war

Flag of RussiaRussia 1917— SRsFlag of RussiaRussia 1921Flag of RussiaRussia 1922— RKP(b)

World War I (1914–1918)

Flag of BelgiumBelgium 1914— Catholic PartyFlag of FranceFrance 1914— Republican, Radical and Radical-Socialist PartyFlag of RomaniaRomania 1914— National Liberal PartyFlag of TurkeyTurkey 1914Flag of GreeceGreece December 1915Flag of GreeceGreece May 1915Flag of JapanJapan 1915— Rikken DōshikaiFlag of PortugalPortugal August 1915 presidential— Bernardino MachadoFlag of PortugalPortugal May 1915 presidential— Teófilo BragaFlag of United StatesUnited States 1916— Woodrow WilsonFlag of JapanJapan 1917— Rikken SeiyūkaiFlag of RussiaRussia 1917— SRsFlag of PortugalPortugal 1918Flag of PortugalPortugal 1918 presidential— João do Canto e CastroFlag of RomaniaRomania 1918— Conservative Party–MarghilomanFlag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom 1918— Conservative

First Balkan War (1912–1913)

Flag of GreeceGreece 1912— Liberal PartyFlag of TurkeyTurkey 1912— CUP

Italo-Turkish War (1911–1912)

Flag of TurkeyTurkey 1912— CUP

Mexican Revolution (1910–1920)civil war

Flag of MexicoMexico 1910 presidential— Porfirio DíazFlag of MexicoMexico 1911 presidential— Francisco I. MaderoFlag of MexicoMexico 1917 presidential— Venustiano CarranzaFlag of MexicoMexico 1920 presidential— Álvaro Obregón

Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905)

Flag of JapanJapan 1904— Rikken Seiyūkai

Spanish–American War (1898)

Flag of SpainSpain 1898— Liberal

First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895)

Flag of JapanJapan March 1894— LiberalFlag of JapanJapan September 1894— Liberal

War of the Pacific (1879–1883)

Flag of ChileChile 1881 presidential— Domingo Santa María

Russo-Turkish War (1877–78)

Flag of TurkeyTurkey 1877 (first)Flag of TurkeyTurkey 1877 (second)

Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871)

Flag of FranceFrance 1871— RepublicansFlag of GermanyGermany 1871— NlP

Paraguayan War (1864–1870)

Flag of ArgentinaArgentina 1868 presidential— Domingo Faustino Sarmiento

American Civil War (1861–1865)civil war

Flag of United StatesUnited States 1864— Abraham Lincoln

French intervention in Mexico (1861–1867)

Flag of BelgiumBelgium 1861— Liberal PartyFlag of MexicoMexico 1861 presidential— Benito JuárezFlag of BelgiumBelgium 1863— CatholicsFlag of FranceFrance 1863— BonapartistsFlag of BelgiumBelgium 1864— Liberal PartyFlag of United StatesUnited States 1864— Abraham LincolnFlag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom 1865— LiberalFlag of BelgiumBelgium 1866— Liberal PartyFlag of MexicoMexico 1867 presidential— Benito JuárezFlag of SpainSpain 1867

Colombian Civil War (1860–62)civil war

Flag of ColombiaColombia 1860 presidential

Second Opium War (1856–1860)

Flag of United StatesUnited States 1856— James BuchananFlag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom 1857— WhigFlag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom 1859— LiberalFlag of United StatesUnited States 1860— Abraham Lincoln

Mexican–American War (1846–1848)

Flag of United StatesUnited States 1848— Zachary Taylor

First Opium War (1839–1842)

Flag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom 1841— Conservative

Greek War of Independence (1821–1829)

Flag of FranceFrance 1824— RightistsFlag of United StatesUnited States 1824— John Quincy AdamsFlag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom 1826— ToryFlag of FranceFrance 1827— Left-wing oppositionFlag of United StatesUnited States 1828— Andrew Jackson

War of 1812 (1812–1815)

Flag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom 1812— ToryFlag of United StatesUnited States 1812— James Madison

War of the Sixth Coalition (1812–1814)

Flag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom 1812— Tory

Peninsular War (1807–1814)

Flag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom 1807— ToryFlag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom 1812— Tory

War of the Fourth Coalition (1806–1807)

Flag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom 1806— WhigFlag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom 1807— Tory

War of the Third Coalition (1803–1806)

Flag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom 1806— Whig

War of the Second Coalition (1798–1802)

Flag of FranceFrance 1798Flag of FranceFrance 1799Flag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom 1802— Addingtonian

War of the First Coalition (1792–1797)

Flag of FranceFrance 1792Flag of FranceFrance 1795— ThermidoriansFlag of FranceFrance 1797— Constitutional monarchists

War of the Polish Succession (1733–1738)

Flag of PolandPoland 1733 presidential— Stanisław I

Great Northern War (1700–1721)

Flag of PolandPoland 1704 presidential— Stanisław I

Livonian War (1558–1583)

Flag of PolandPoland 1573 presidential— Henri de ValoisFlag of PolandPoland 1576 presidential— Anna Jagiellon