Top 10 Election Results that Shocked the World

2024 Indian General Election

Between April and June 2024, nearly 650 million Indians voted to elect members of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a third term, entered the election holding an absolute majority with his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was widely expected to win decisively. However, the BJP’s occasionally divisive message alienated many voters. This discontent was leveraged by the newly formed opposition coalition, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). Consequently, the BJP suffered an unexpected defeat, losing its singular majority in the Lok Sabha. Although the INDIA bloc exceeded expectations, Modi remained Prime Minister because his own coalition, the National Democratic Alliance, secured enough seats for a majority. Nevertheless, his influence in Parliament is now considerably weakened.

2022 Brazilian General Election

In the 2022 Brazilian election for president, voters faced a stark ideological choice. On one side, there was the far-right incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro, whose presidency was marred by mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread deforestation of the Amazon, and attacks on minorities. On the other side stood Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a leftist former president who highlighted the achievements of his previous tenure and promised economic reforms. Although pre-election polls showed Lula leading, Bolsonaro’s strongman image and significant support base suggested it was going to be a much tighter race. After two rounds of voting, Lula narrowly defeated Bolsonaro, marking a stunning political comeback for the former president who had once been convicted of corruption and sentenced to prison.

2024 Senegalese Presidential Election

The 2024 presidential election in Senegal was initially scheduled for February 25th. However, on February 3rd, President Macky Sall, who was term-limited, decided to postpone it indefinitely. Sall’s government had already imprisoned prominent opposition politicians like Ousmane Sonko and Bassirou Diomaye Faye, raising concerns about the future of Senegal’s democracy. The postponement intensified ongoing protests sparked by Sonko’s imprisonment, and it was ultimately overturned. Just days before the rescheduled election on March 24th, Sonko and Faye were released from prison and allowed to campaign. Faye ran for the presidency in place of Sonko, who was disqualified due to his conviction. Despite the brief campaign period, Faye surprisingly emerged victorious, largely supported by young voters, and became Senegal’s youngest president at the age of 44.

1948 United States Presidential Election

Every election cycle, voters, pundits and politicians alike wonder just how accurate the polls are. Polling errors have always existed, but none were as shocking as those in the 1948 election. Truman, who became president following the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, was running for his first full term. Due to a struggling economy and labor strikes, Truman had grown deeply unpopular. And it didn’t help that divisions in the Democratic Party had resulted in a three-way split. All signs pointed to a loss for Truman, with polls consistently showing him several points behind Republican candidate Thomas Dewey. Some newspapers even prematurely published the headline “Dewey Defeats Truman.” However, in a stunning upset, Truman won the election, with 303 electoral votes to Dewey’s 189.

2024 French Legislative Election

Following the 2024 European Parliament elections, which heavily favored the far-right National Rally, French president Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly and called for snap elections. Macron aimed to catch his opponents by surprise, hoping their lack of preparation would lead to a loss in the legislative election. However, after the first round of voting, his plan seemed to backfire, as the National Rally secured nearly a third of all votes. This initial setback triggered intense political maneuvering, resulting in over 200 left-wing and moderate candidates dropping out to avoid splitting the vote. Despite their early success, the National Rally was dealt a stunning blow in the second round, as the freshly-formed leftist alliance, New Popular Front, ultimately won more parliamentary seats.

2016 United States Presidential Election

Going into the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Republican candidate Donald Trump was the underdog. After all, he was up against Hillary Clinton, who had a wealth of political experience and stood to make history as the first female president. Furthermore, Trump’s campaign was riddled with controversies. He made inflammatory comments about immigrants and his opponents, faced numerous accusations of sexual misconduct and was caught on tape making lewd comments about women. Despite all of this, and the fact that Clinton consistently led in pre-election polls, Trump clinched the win by way of the Electoral College, securing key swing states like Florida, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. It was one of the most stunning political upsets ever, surprising even Trump himself.

2015 United Kingdom General Election

In the lead-up to the 2015 UK general election, polls didn’t clearly indicate which of the two main parties would win a majority. The general prediction was a close race between the Conservative and Labour parties, with many expecting a hung parliament. The Conservative campaign, led by then-Prime Minister David Cameron, emphasized economic stability and strong leadership, contrasting this with predicted chaos under the Labour Party. This message resonated with voters and the Conservatives achieved a surprising victory, winning a majority of 330 seats in parliament. Contributing factors included the unexpected collapse of the Liberal Democrats and the rise of the Scottish National Party, which further fragmented the opposition. This unexpected outcome led to the resignation of Labour leader Ed Miliband.

2000 United States Presidential Election

537 votes. That was all it took to decide the presidency in 2000. The election that year was between Vice President Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush. With every other state accounted for, the results hinged on Florida, where the vote margin was razor-thin. Initially, Bush had a slight lead, prompting automatic recounts. However, legal battles quickly ensued over ballot counting methods and deadlines, culminating in a Supreme Court decision that halted the recount while Bush was in the lead, effectively awarding him Florida’s crucial electoral votes. It was the first time in over a century that the candidate who lost the popular vote won the presidency. To this day, some people still dispute the results of this election.

1945 United Kingdom General Election

By the end of WWII in Europe, Winston Churchill was one of the most celebrated figures in the world, widely admired for his wartime leadership. In the UK, his approval rating stood at a remarkable 83%. With such popularity, Churchill and his Conservative Party felt confident of their chances in the 1945 general election. However, the electorate’s focus had already shifted to post-war reconstruction. The Labour Party promised sweeping social reforms, including nationalized healthcare, and improved housing and employment conditions. These promises resonated with a public eager to move on from the war, and led to a landslide victory for Labour. Although Labour leader Clement Attlee became Prime Minister, Churchill later returned to the position after the Conservatives won the 1951 election.

1932 German Presidential Election

In the 1932 German presidential election, Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party made significant inroads, achieving a remarkable breakthrough. After years on the political fringes, the Nazi Party rose to become the second-largest party by the 1930s, securing about 37% of the vote in this election. Although Hitler lost the presidency to Independent incumbent Paul von Hindenburg, the result was shocking to many, as it brought the Nazis’ radical ideology to the forefront of German politics. This democratic endorsement lent a semblance of legitimacy to their extreme platform and positioned Hitler as a key figure in Germany. It also marked a crucial turning point in his eventual rise to power and the establishment of Nazi rule in the country.


Which of these election outcomes were you the most stunned by? Let us know in the comments below.