Second longest string of Regular elections?

naraht · May 6, 2012

If you had asked an american (USA) in 1812 whether there would be elections in the United States in 2012, he would have said yes, both Presidential and House (he wouldn't have said US Senate) and he would have been right. Arguably the schedule was set in the 1790s.

What is the longest *other* string of regular elections in the World. The Mexicans have done their presidential elections every 6 years since 1934 and and the Swiss have had Parlimentary elections every 4 years since 1931. Is there any country to have had regular elections where the schedule has not changed or been disruptive farther back. Either Legislative or Executive (or even Judicial is fine.)

A situation like the UK where the only requirement is a maximum amount of time between elections is *not* regular for this purpose...

I would have expected most of the regular schedules in Europe would have been disrupted by WWII and I'm not sure if any country in South America has kept the same schedule (coups tend to disrupt schedules), so does anywhere date to the 19th century?

Derek Jackson · May 7, 2012

naraht said:
If you had asked an american (USA) in 1812 whether there would be elections in the United States in 2012, he would have said yes, both Presidential and House (he wouldn't have said US Senate) and he would have been right. Arguably the schedule was set in the 1790s.

What is the longest *other* string of regular elections in the World. The Mexicans have done their presidential elections every 6 years since 1934 and and the Swiss have had Parlimentary elections every 4 years since 1931. Is there any country to have had regular elections where the schedule has not changed or been disruptive farther back. Either Legislative or Executive (or even Judicial is fine.)

A situation like the UK where the only requirement is a maximum amount of time between elections is *not* regular for this purpose...

I would have expected most of the regular schedules in Europe would have been disrupted by WWII and I'm not sure if any country in South America has kept the same schedule (coups tend to disrupt schedules), so does anywhere date to the 19th century?

How regular have Swiss elections been?

Alex Richards · May 7, 2012

San Marino is a rather odd case. There have been national elections to the Grand and Central Council on an irregular schedule since 1906, but the council has been electing two Captain Regents every six months since 1243 (though before 1390 the information gets very patchy).

Simreeve · May 8, 2012

Rome elected two Consuls each year from sometime before historical records became accurate until the chaos aound the time of Julius Caesar, after which elections continued in theory but effectively became Imperial choices in practice. Some of the Greek city-states also had regular (often annual) elections for various officials for a lonng time. One or more of those examples probably beats your American sequence for length...

naraht · May 8, 2012

Derek Jackson said:
How regular have Swiss elections been?

Regular at four year intervals since 1931. I thought I included that in my post...

naraht · May 8, 2012

Alex Richards said:
San Marino is a rather odd case. There have been national elections to the Grand and Central Council on an irregular schedule since 1906, but the council has been electing two Captain Regents every six months since 1243 (though before 1390 the information gets very patchy).

I guess the election of the Captain Regents by the Council is theoretically equal to the electoral college (those elected elect someone else) or the pre 17th amendment US Senators.

My question is whether the Fatti di Rovereta counts as a disruption of schedule or not.

naraht · May 8, 2012

Simreeve said:
Rome elected two Consuls each year from sometime before historical records became accurate until the chaos aound the time of Julius Caesar, after which elections continued in theory but effectively became Imperial choices in practice. Some of the Greek city-states also had regular (often annual) elections for various officials for a lonng time. One or more of those examples probably beats your American sequence for length...

Should have added "current..." to the question.

Alex Richards · May 8, 2012

naraht said:
I guess the election of the Captain Regents by the Council is theoretically equal to the electoral college (those elected elect someone else) or the pre 17th amendment US Senators.

My question is whether the Fatti di Rovereta counts as a disruption of schedule or not.

Good God! San Marino had a coup?!?

I really didn't know about that. I suppose it depends on whether you view a 10 day delay in the election that year as breaking the schedule. Certainly they didn't miss a term out or even most of a term. And considering there have been a few cases where illness/death has resulted in a new Captain-Regent being chosen mid term it could be argued that it was minor enough to not be counted as a disruption for this case.

Or perhaps it's an example but asterixed, though then again the situation with the early succession to the Vice President in the US would probably fall under the same position.

Still... bit of a surprise.

Last of the Stuarts · May 8, 2012

The Icelandic Althing has been going since 930, and whilst I admit that it had a 45 year break the parliment's 1082 years may come a close second to the American 220 years.

I am not sure why a regular election is so good, you get "lame duck" presidents who just waste a year of everyones time until the next election. Once a government has lost the confidence of its people it should go.

Falastur · May 8, 2012

Voting for the Lord Mayor of London has happened annually on the same day of the year (granted that apparently certain members can request a two-week delay) since 1189. I'm not aware of any deviations to this rule in the history of the post.

Granted it's a rather closed election where only Liverymen of the City of London's Livery Companies are allowed to vote, and there's strict rules on who is eligible, but still...

Simreeve · May 9, 2012

Last of the Stuarts said:
The Icelandic Althing has been going since 930, and whilst I admit that it had a 45 year break the parliment's 1082 years may come a close second to the American 220 years.

And there's the Manx Tynwald, too...

Falecius · May 9, 2012

The point is that, in most institutional systems other than the American one and the Italian Comuni (exemplified by San Marino) elections tend to be held to choose who rules, though usually not through a direct election of the executive.
This means that in most systems, especially in Europe, there are provisions to allow extraordinary election, only fixing a maximum term. A rigidly fixed schedule like the American one is quite rare.

Alex Richards · May 9, 2012

Falecius said:
The point is that, in most institutional systems other than the American one and the Italian Comuni (exemplified by San Marino) elections tend to be held to choose who rules, though usually not through a direct election of the executive.
This means that in most systems, especially in Europe, there are provisions to allow extraordinary election, only fixing a maximum term. A rigidly fixed schedule like the American one is quite rare.

I think it's only rare on a national level. On a local level it's much more common, though a different situation.

Grey Wolf · May 9, 2012

Falecius said:
The point is that, in most institutional systems other than the American one and the Italian Comuni (exemplified by San Marino) elections tend to be held to choose who rules, though usually not through a direct election of the executive.
This means that in most systems, especially in Europe, there are provisions to allow extraordinary election, only fixing a maximum term. A rigidly fixed schedule like the American one is quite rare.

Yeah, excluding Britain because its "not regular" omits the fact that these kind of systems are not built for regular fixed schedules, because the leader comes from the assembly and holds his power as a consequence of being able to achieve a majority in the assembly, and if he loses that then he loses his power and triggers an election.

Its like if the US President loses the support of Congress he has to call an election.

Now, your scenario COULD have been derailed if the idea of a Special Presidential Election had ever happened - ie if the line of succession thing hadn't kicked in with Tyler

Best Regards
Grey Wolf