List of close elections

No voting system can guarantee a clear result all the time, even first past the post.

For a list of elections with a small difference between the winner and the second place candidate, see list of narrow elections.

Some close elections, where the winner won a bare majority, or where a third party or independents hold the balance of power include:

Australia

* 1901-1913 party system yet to crystalise.
* 1919 - introduce IRV (preferential voting)
* 1939 - balance of power held by 2 independents.
* 1961 - majority of 1 - 1963 election was called one year early to exploit an opportunity to gain a larger majority.

New South Wales

* 19?? - introduce IRV
* 1976 - majority of 1
* 1992 - 3 independents hold balance of power
* 1995 - majority of 3

outh Australia

* 1966 - Centre party holds balance of power - 1 seat

Victoria

* 1999 - 3 Independants hold balance of power

Canada

*Canadian federal election, 1957 PC 109, Lib 105, CCF 25, SC 19, Ind 5
*Canadian federal election, 1972 Lib. 109, PC 107, NDP 31, SC 15, Ind 2
*Canadian federal election, 2004 Lib. 135, Con 99, NDP 19, BQ 54, Ind 1 - In this Parliament, confidence bills were very close after some Liberal defections. The Liberals and NDP voting together had 151 and the Conservatives and Bloc had 152. This left 3 Independents with the balance of power. 2 voted with the Gov't and one voted against. The tie had to be broken by the Speaker.
*Canadian federal election, 2006 Con 124, Lib 103, BQ 54, NDP 29, Ind 1

British Columbia

*British Columbia general election, 1996 NDP 39, Lib 33, Ref 2, PDA 1

askatchewan

*Saskatchewan general election, 1929 Lib 28, Cons 24, Prog 5, Ind 6
*Saskatchewan general election, 1999 NDP 29, Sask 25, Lib 4
*Saskatchewan general election, 2003 NDP 30, Sask 28

Manitoba

*Manitoba general election, 1969 NDP 28, PC 22, Lib 5, SC 1, Ind 1
*Manitoba general election, 1986 NDP 30, PC 26, Lib 1
*Manitoba general election, 1988 PC 25, Lib 20, NDP 12

Ontario

*Ontario general election, 1867 Cons 41, Lib 41
*Ontario general election, 1871 Lib 43, Cons 38, Ind 1
*Ontario general election, 1902 Lib 50, Cons 48
*Ontario general election, 1943 PC 38, CCF 34, Lib 15
*Ontario general election, 1985 PC 52, Lib 48, NDP 25

Quebec

*Quebec general election, 1878 Cons 32, Lib 31, Ind 2
*Quebec general election, 1886 Lib 33, Cons 26, Ind 6
*Quebec general election, 1966 UN 56, Lib 50, Ind 2
*Quebec general election, 2007 Lib 48, ADQ 41, PQ 36

New Brunswick

*New Brunswick general election, 1978 PC 30, Lib 28
*New Brunswick general election, 2003 PC 28, Lib 26, NDP 1
*New Brunswick general election, 2006 Lib 29, PC 26

Nova Scotia

*Nova Scotia general election, 1979 Lib 23, PC 21, NDP 2
*Nova Scotia general election, 1998 Lib 19, NDP 19, PC 14
*Nova Scotia general election, 2006 PC 23, NDP 20, Lib 9

Yukon

*Yukon general election, 1992 Yuk 7, NDP 6, Lib 1, Ind 3
*Yukon general election, 1989 NDP 9, PC 7
*Yukon general election, 1985 NDP 8, PC 6, Lib 2

Italy

*Italian general election, 2006- The Union coalition wins by 25,000 votes.

United Kingdom

* FPTP
* 1974-1979 - third parties hold balance of power

United States

Due to the Electoral College, elections where the electoral vote was decided by a large margin could easily be reversed by the shifting of swing states. The results ignore faithless electors.

* United States presidential election, 1876 Rep 185, Dem 184. South Carolina went to Hayes by 889 votes, and the returns were accepted only after the Electoral Commission ruled. Justice Joseph P. Bradley cast the deciding swing vote in this election.
* United States presidential election, 1916 Dem 277, Rep 254. California was decided by about 4000 votes, and its 13 electoral votes would have swung the election if switched.
* United States presidential election, 1976 Dem 297, Rep 241. Ohio (25) and Hawaii (4) went Democratic by close margins.
* United States presidential election, 2000 Rep 271, Dem 267. The Florida debacle. The 537-vote Bush nailbiter would have given Gore a large victory if the victory was reversed. It is often stated that the Supreme Court case "Bush v. Gore" determined the election result, with Sandra Day O'Connor casting the deciding vote.
* Washington gubernatorial election, 2004
*United States Senate election in Montana, 2006
*Minnesota gubernatorial election, 2006In addition, control of the Senate after the 2006 elections came down to a single, very narrow race (less that 10,000 votes out of over two million cast) in Virginia; even after that election returned a victory for Democrat Jim Webb, the Democrats required the support of the independent democratic socialist Bernie Sanders of Vermont and the independent ex-Democrat Joseph Lieberman to establish control of the Senate.

Mexico

* Mexican general election, 2006 - Difference of less than 1% between two main candidates.

See also

*The opposite of a result that is too close is one that is too lop-sided and Landslide victory.