2021 Mongolian presidential election

In April 2021 President Khaltmaagiin Battulga issued an emergency directive to disband the MPP "in order to safeguard the sovereignty and democracy of the country" after the MPP passed amendments to the constitution.{{cite news|author=Baljmaa.T|date=April 20, 2021|title=President presents ordinance on disbanding Mongolian People's Party|publisher=Montsame|url=https://montsame.mn/en/read/261031}}{{cite news|author=Battulga Khaltmaa|date=April 19, 2021|title=Монгол Улсын Ерөнхийлөгч Х.Баттулга Монгол ардын намыг тараах тухай захирамж гаргаснаа танилцууллаа|language=Mongolian|publisher=YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI4EbFIlSs8}} The constitutional amendments, which took effect in May 2020, stipulated that the Mongolian president could hold office only for a single term, making Battulga ineligible to re-run in the 2021 presidential election.{{Cite web|date=2020-01-05|title=Welcome to Battulga's rule in 2020s|url=https://www.mongoliaweekly.org/post/welcome-to-battulga-s-rule-in-2020s|access-date=2020-07-15|website=Mongolia Weekly|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Marco Rubio, Patrick Leahy Urge State Department to Do More to Promote Democracy in Mongolia |work=Florida Daily|date=6 May 2021 |url=https://www.floridadaily.com/marco-rubio-patrick-leahy-urge-state-department-to-do-more-to-promote-democracy-in-mongolia/|access-date=2021-06-05|language=en-US}}

Following 2019 constitutional amendments, the president is elected using the two-round system for a six-year term, and may only serve one term. Previously, the term was of four years, renewable once.{{Cite web|date=7 July 2017|title=Mongolia votes in first ever presidential runoff|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/7/7/mongolia-votes-in-first-ever-presidential-runoff|access-date=10 June 2021|website=Al Jazeera}}{{Cite web|last=Volodya|first=Bolormaa|date=9 January 2020|title=The Amendment On Constitution Of Mongolia|url=https://www.mondaq.com/human-rights/879568/the-amendment-on-constitution-of-mongolia|access-date=10 June 2021|website=Mondaq}} Political parties with representation in the State Great Khural are allowed to nominate candidates. The elected president must resign from any political party before their inauguration. Presidents can be removed through a two-third majority vote by the State Great Khural if found guilty of abusing their powers or violating the presidential oath.

Articles 97.9 and 99.2 of the electoral law determines how votes are counted, with blank ballots taken into account when determining whether a candidate has crossed the 50% threshold. If no candidate receives a majority of all votes cast in the second round (including blank votes), article 8.6.2 of the electoral law requires fresh elections to be held.{{Cite web|date=7 July 2017|title=STATEMENT OF PRELIMINARY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS|url=https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/e/e/328381.pdf|access-date=10 June 2021|website=osce.org}}{{Cite web|title=Electoral Law Mongolia 2016|url=https://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/asia/MN/mongolia-electoral-law-for-state-great-hural-and/view|access-date=10 June 2021|website=aceproject.org}}

The General Elections Commission registered three candidates:{{Cite web|author=А. Намуун|date=8 May 2021|title=Ерөнхийлөгчийн сонгуульд нэр дэвшигчдийн үнэмлэхийг тавдугаар сарын 24-нд олгож, нийтэд мэдээлнэ|url=https://ikon.mn/n/27px|access-date=9 May 2021|website=ikon.mn}}

1. Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh (Mongolian People's Party)
2. Sodnomzunduin Erdene (Democratic Party)
3. Dangaasürengiin Enkhbat (National Labour Party)

Oyungerel Tsedevdamba of the Democratic Party had been considered a potential candidate{{Cite web|title=Is Mongolia Ready for a Female President?|url=https://thediplomat.com/2021/01/is-mongolia-ready-for-a-female-president/|access-date=8 February 2021|website=thediplomat.com|language=en-US}} but she lost her bid in the primary to Erdene.

Former Prime Minister Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh led the opinion polls according to an MEC survey in April 2021.{{Cite web|date=18 March 2021|title=Chart of the Week - Political Ratings|url=https://www.mongoliaweekly.org/post/chart-of-the-week-political-ratings|url-status=live|access-date=9 May 2021|website=Mongolia Weekly|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210319002554/https://www.mongoliaweekly.org/post/chart-of-the-week-political-ratings |archive-date=19 March 2021 }}

Polls opened at 07:00 in 2,087 polling stations across the country for the 2.1 million registered voters, with special measures in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia. Voting ended at 22:00. Khürelsükh and Erdene voted in Ulaanbaatar while Enkhbat tested positive for COVID-19 and voted in hospital.{{Cite journal|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/asiapacific/2021-06/09/c_139998488.htm|journal=Xinhua News Agency|title=Mongolian presidential candidates cast votes in presidential election|date=9 June 2021}}

{{Election results

|cand1=Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh|party1=Mongolian People's Party|votes1=823326

|cand2=Dangaasürengiin Enkhbat|party2=Right Person Electorate Coalition|votes2=246968

|cand3=Sodnomzunduin Erdene|party3=Democratic Party|votes3=72832

|invalid=71937

|electorate=2049379

|source=[https://gec.gov.mn/uploads/2021/pre_res/all.HTML GEC], [https://www.electionguide.org/elections/id/3693/ IFES]

}}

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Presidential election

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Category:Presidential elections in Mongolia