What are your favourite ever elections?

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Primarily in terms of being interesting to study as opposed to your least favourite party being BTFO or whatever, but if the latter is also interesting than feel free to post it here.

[rob in cal]

   Probably the first elections after communism in Eastern Europe, and New Zealands first election held under Proportional Representation.

[International Brotherhood of Bernard]

For me it's gotta be Alberta 2015. Not only did the PCs get BTFO thanks to their own arrogance, but at the hands of a social democratic party in the most conservative area of the country and perhaps even the continent. Also interesting to study the campaign trajectory (which IIRC started with the NDP in third), how they got to where they did, and the coalition that brought them there. I remember following the campaign closely (being the asperger's-having high schooler I was) and just refusing to believe the NDP would actually pull it off for fear of getting my hopes up only to have them crushed, and then watching the livestream of the CBC election night special and feeling just a wave of joy and excitement crash over me as they called an NDP majority. Thought it prophesied a Mulcair majority in Ottawa later that year, but it was unfortunately not to be

[DC Al Fine]

Canada 1993 tops my list. Practically every region of the country had a different realignment all in one election. I like Italy 1994 for similar reasons.

[Krago]

I would go with U.S. Presidential 2016.  Despite being the most polled, analyzed and studied election in history, the voters can still surprise.

[parochial boy]

It's an obvious one, but UK 2017 was amusing because everything that wassupposed to happen... didn't.

France 1981 is also interesting as more or less the only election where both the PS and the PCF did reasonably well, so you get a neat little picture of the two parties' different strongholds.

[EPG]

Primarily in terms of being interesting to study

UK 1970, followed by 1923. The recent 1994/96 Italian election maps are great too, but I don't have the contextual knowledge to enjoy them fully.

favourite

France 2017 will take a long long time to beat. "You can keep your Corbyn -170 seat majority, we got France, and you never thought THAT would happen, eh?"

[OSR stands with Israel]

1992 USA

[Hatman 🍁]

For me it's gotta be Alberta 2015. Not only did the PCs get BTFO thanks to their own arrogance, but at the hands of a social democratic party in the most conservative area of the country and perhaps even the continent. Also interesting to study the campaign trajectory (which IIRC started with the NDP in third), how they got to where they did, and the coalition that brought them there. I remember following the campaign closely (being the asperger's-having high schooler I was) and just refusing to believe the NDP would actually pull it off for fear of getting my hopes up only to have them crushed, and then watching the livestream of the CBC election night special and feeling just a wave of joy and excitement crash over me as they called an NDP majority. Thought it prophesied a Mulcair majority in Ottawa later that year, but it was unfortunately not to be

This is up there for me too. Also, Ontario 1990 for the same reason and the 2011 federal election.

[King of Kensington]

1945 UK and 1948 US are up there for me.  And yes Canada 1993 was fascinating.

Most recently, Greece 2015 and UK 2017.

[Former President tack50]

For Spain I'd probably say 2015. Watching the 2 party system completely disappear, nationalist parties basically going from strong to being on life support, Podemos and Cs rising out of nowhere and getting the best results ever for a third party, UPyD's and IU's collapse was astonishing.

UK 2017 was also a very interesting one

[King of Kensington]

While Trudeau-mania '68 may have been more of a phenomenon, the 1980 Canadian election was a fascinating result.  Pierre Trudeau won a majority government with virtually no representation in the West (just 2 seats in Manitoba, Canada's "gateway to the West"). 

[Harlow]

As someone fascinated by third parties and non-binary choices, I'm partial to US Presidential 1912, Canada 1993, and British Columbia 2017, among others.

[TheSaint250]

U.S. 1948, 1980, 1992, 2016 (Presidential): All are unique in their various ways, thought at this point, the 2016 primary season just makes me more upset than anything else.

Canada 1993: Canada was first introduced to a party that would go on to reshape the right wing, and a Quebecois nationalist party became the official opposition.

France 2017 (Presidential): The birth of a politically revolutionary party (LREM) and the participation of Marine Le Pen in the second round really makes the election something unique worldwide.

Norway 2017: The government formed as a result of this victory for the right wing incorporates liberals, conservatives, and right-wing populists, something quite unique.  In addition, the Centre Party did a great job, almost doubling their seat total.

Austria 2017: Not only is there a right-leaning government, the Greens being kicked out of parliament by a unique left-wing party certainly added to the interesting factor of this race.  

Czechia 2017: ANO winning such a large plurality was certainly interesting, but seeing the resulting political chaos and the various, strange coalitions that could be formed is something to remember.

[SNJ1985]

Hungary 2010 and Poland 2015, as they resulted in the two best governments on Earth right now.

[Babeuf]

On a personal level the 2008 US election was an amazing night. It really felt historic as it was happening. The Obama landslide, the end of Bush, first black president, etc.

Of course, I was much less left-wing and cynical in those days. Still, despite what came afterward, I will always view 2008 fondly because of the elation it made me feel at the time.

[Zinneke]

France 1997

[bmw1503]

The Cisleithanian (Austrian part of Austria-Hungary) legislative elections of 1907 and 1911. The last two elections under the Habsburgs were conducted under one man-one vote, and fascinating for both the sheer number and variety of parties running, and the alliances made for the second round under the single member, majoritarian system.

[jaichind]

France 1993 - I read a headline that pointed out that this election created the largest Right wing majority in the Assembly since 1815.

India 2004 - Shock UPA victory over NDA which was something I was fairly alone not in predicting put pointing out was quite possible when all Indian political pundits said it was a NDA landslide for sure.

USA 2016 - similar to India 2004.  I did not predict a Trump victory but was sure he would for sure come close and could potentially win. 

USA 1924 - I really like both major party candidates and would have been very happy to vote for either one.

Canada 1993 - The PC meltdown was just fun to watch regardless who I supported.

UK 2015 - I really loved how Cameron used the SNP as a bogeyman to swing the English vote behind the CON

ROC 2007 - the KMT landslide was just incredible and most likely will never be repeated by any political party on ROC in the future.

Japan 2012 - LDP-KP wins 2/3 majority with a PR vote share less than 40%  Just fun to watch the LDP-KP landslide in FPTP seats over a divided anti-LDP vote even though I was opposed to LDP that election.

[Dr. MB]

While Trudeau-mania '68 may have been more of a phenomenon, the 1980 Canadian election was a fascinating result.  Pierre Trudeau won a majority government with virtually no representation in the West (just 2 seats in Manitoba, Canada's "gateway to the West"). 

That's really interesting. Here's a map I found, and it shows a clear divide between the left-wing parties – the Liberals dominated in the east while the NDP won almost all its seats in the west.

[MAINEiac4434]

UK 1997, Canada 2015, France 2012 in terms of my feelings about them when they happened. All of them turned out to be less good.

[_]

UK 2010
Canada 2011
BC 2017
Alberta 2018 (Yes Already)

[Nichlemn]

Alberta 1935 was pretty crazy. The incumbent government lost all their seats and won only 11% of the vote. Social Credit won 54% of the vote and 56/63 seats in the legislature just months after its formation, then remained in power until 1971.

[Babeuf]

UK 1997, Canada 2015, France 2012 in terms of my feelings about them when they happened. All of them turned out to be less good.

Ugh, it's truly embarrassing how excited I was about France 2012 when it happened.

[Artaxerxes]

New Brunswick-1987 (I can't post links) is one of the most interesting Canadian elections that hasn't been mentioned yet, where the Liberals won literally all of the seats in the New Brunswick legislature.