Continuing our Referendum Rundown, Japan’s political situation has become ever more precarious for the long standing LDP. After a drawn out election cycle, Japan has elected its first ever female leader: Sanae Takaichi. She has had a long career as a politician and served in the Abe Administration for years. Many are already calling her Japan’s Iron Woman. In fact, Takaichi has publicly mentioned her adoration for the late British Prime Minister, having drawn inspiration for her signature blue suits from Thatcher’s iconic blue suits of the 1980’s..
Voting for the next South Korea president is already underway with early and shipboard voting having commenced earlier in the week. South Korea’s democracy is a major facet of what makes South Korea a success story. June 3rd will only be South Korea’s 21st presidential election. While it looked like Lee was going to win in a landslide, the conservative candidates have made some serious headway in the last few weeks. But we entered the polling blackout period, one of the many unique ways South Korea tries to regulate, protect, and promote its elections. Let’s take a look at some facets of Korea elections that make the system unique, as they are laid out in the Public Official Election Act (POEA).
The Canadian election has been a fascinating watch. At first glance, it would appear that we have seen one of the most drastic polling reversals in recent memory. I would rather argue that an unpopular leader left a popular party. While abruptness of this change has been fueled by an erratic foreign policy from Canada’s Southern neighbor, the change itself was set one way or another. The sudden and unpredictable nature of the new U.S. administration has trumped over most other issues in Canada. However, these issues will still plague whichever party comes out on top.
Welcome to our Referendum Rundown! Our new series on elections from around the world. This series will take a look at elections from around the world. Coverage will cover different aspects of elections including, candidate rundowns, predictions and implications, and results and analysis. Our election coverage will often have a foreign policy angle, as that is our expertise, and it ensures relevance to global audiences. My personal interest and expertise will mean that you can expect coverage to focus on Northeast Asia, specifically South Korea. However, my own intrigue will often lead me to explore elections from around the pacific. In the coming days you can expect pieces previewing several key elections from around the Indo-pacific. Australia, South Korea, and Canada are all set to have elections in the coming weeks. While other states, like Japan, are inching their way towards a general election in the near future.
In 2024, the world saw the most people in human history cast their ballots for their respective states. As we have come to see, democracy can be a fragile system. We should stop and take the time to appreciate the time we live in. Millions of people get to have a voice in the government that rules over them. This concept would be unheard of just a few centuries ago. When each person gets a say in politics, politics becomes messy. The electoral process is attempting to get a group of people to have a conversation and come to a decision. This conversation becomes increasingly complicated. It’s difficult to have a productive meeting with 5 people talking, let alone millions. This messy, complicated, and fragile system creates equally complicated, and at times, unexpected results.
Whether or not we will ever see more people vote than in 2024 is yet to be seen. We are in a time of democratic backsliding across the globe, making each election increasingly important to watch. It is our goal to bring you along for the crazy ride that is a world full of vibrant elections from all around the world!
