Elections in Albania

On 26 July 2024, the Parliament of Albania approved a set of amendments to the country's Electoral Code,{{Cite web |last=Progress |first=Communication |title=QBZ - Qendra e Botimeve Zyrtare |url=https://qbz.gov.al/preview/75122d2e-9ebc-45de-b0ea-b5efde2f6836 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250210214716/https://qbz.gov.al/preview/75122d2e-9ebc-45de-b0ea-b5efde2f6836 |archive-date=2025-02-10 |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=qbz.gov.al |language=sq}} which were implemented in the 2025 parliamentary elections. The amendments were passed with 106 votes in favor, 2 against, and no abstentions, during the final session of the 2021–2025 legislature.{{cite news |title=106 vota pro, PS-PD miratojnë ndryshimet në Kodin Zgjedhor: Lista të hapura në 2/3 dhe votë të diasporës |url=https://shqiptarja.com/lajm/106-vota-pro-pspd-miratojne-ndryshimet-ne-kodin-zgjedhor-lista-te-hapura-ne-23-dhe-vote-te-diaspores |website=Shqiptarja.com |date=26 July 2024 |access-date=18 May 2025}}

The reform introduced a hybrid electoral system combining closed and open lists:

• One-third (1/3) of each party’s candidate list will be closed—determined solely by party leadership and not subject to preferential voting.

• Two-thirds (2/3) of the list will be open, allowing voters to cast preferential votes for individual candidates.

• Parties are required to submit two separate lists to the Central Election Commission (CEC): a fixed list and an open list.

For the first time, Albanian citizens residing abroad will be able to participate in parliamentary elections:

• Voting will take place by mail.

• Eligible voters must register electronically with the CEC and provide documentation confirming their residence outside Albania. They will be deregistered from the normal voting registry and added in another diaspora list.

• Returned ballots must arrive at the CEC no later than the close of polls on election day and will be counted toward the voter’s last place of residence in Albania.

The amendments also reinforced gender representation rules:

• At least one in every three elected candidates must belong to the less-represented gender.

• This requirement applies to both the closed and open portions of the candidate lists.

• If the results of preferential voting do not meet the gender quota, candidate rankings may be adjusted during the mandate allocation process to ensure compliance.

The country is divided into 12 multi-member constituencies, corresponding to its administrative regions. Seats are allocated using the D'Hondt method, a highest averages method for allocating seats proportionally among party lists.{{cite web |title=Albania - Electoral System |url=https://aceproject.org/epic-en/CDCountry?country=AL&set_language=en&topic=ES |website=ACE Electoral Knowledge Network |access-date=18 May 2025}}

The D'Hondt method operates by dividing the number of votes each party receives by a series of divisors (1, 2, 3, etc.) to allocate seats in each constituency. While this system aims to reflect the proportion of votes received, it can result in a higher threshold for smaller parties to gain representation, especially in constituencies with fewer seats.{{cite web |title=Understanding the D'Hondt method |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2019/637966/EPRS_BRI%282019%29637966_EN.pdf |website=European Parliament |access-date=18 May 2025}}

The 2024 amendments established a national electoral threshold of 1% for political parties to gain representation in the parliament, reducing it from a previous 3% for parties and 5% for coalitions. This means that political parties must secure at least 1% of the total national vote to be eligible for seat allocation. This adjustment aimed to enhance the inclusivity of the electoral system, allowing smaller parties a better chance to enter parliament.

In May 2025, a group of smaller opposition parties filed a case with the Constitutional Court of Albania, challenging the constitutionality of the one-third closed list provision. They argued that the reform restricts electoral competitiveness and consolidates power within party leadership structures, allegedly violating constitutional guarantees of equal electoral participation.{{cite news |title=Kodi i ri zgjedhor, mbyllja e listave në 1/3-at/ Aleatët e Berishës padisin në Kushtetuese paktin që bëri me PS-në |url=https://shqiptarja.com/lajm/kodi-i-ri-zgjedhor-mbyllja-e-listave-ne-13at-aleatet-e-berishes-padisin-ne-kushtetuese-paktin-qe-beri-me-psne-kerkojne-shfuqizimin |website=Shqiptarja.com |date=17 May 2025 |access-date=18 May 2025}}

Compared to the 2021 parliamentary elections, where only 3 out of 140 MPs were elected through preferential voting, the new system places an estimated 40 mandates (approximately 29% of total seats) in direct competition among candidates. However, in practice, the open list system primarily applies with larger parties.

Only parties that secure enough votes to elect more than one-third of their candidate list can effectively utilize the open list mechanism. This scenario predominantly applies to the ruling Socialist Party (PS) and, to a lesser extent, the main opposition Democratic Party (PD). Smaller parties do not meet this threshold, rendering the open list provision redundant for them.{{cite web |title=Republic of Albania Parliamentary Elections, 11 May 2025 - Interim Report |url=https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/3/0/590099.pdf |website=OSCE |date=28 April 2025 |access-date=18 May 2025}} Some smaller parties are trying to sidestep this limitation by having only placeholder candidates in the closed lists who will resign their seats when elected, to pave the way for the open list candidates. {{Cite web |title=U kritikua ashpër në rrjet, Adriatik Lapaj heq babanë e tij nga lista e kandidatëve për deputetë në Qarkun Berat - Shqiptarja.com |url=https://shqiptarja.com/lajm/u-kritikua-ashper-ne-rrjet-adriatik-lapaj-heq-babain-e-tij-nga-lista-e-kandidateve-per-deputete-ne-qarkun-berat?r=pop5h |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=shqiptarja.com |language=sq}}

On 31 March 1991, the first pluralist elections were held in the country.{{Cite web |title=ALBANIA: parliamentary elections Kuvendi Popullor, 1991 |url=http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2001_91.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231206110741/http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2001_91.htm |archive-date=December 6, 2023 |access-date=2021-11-15 |website=archive.ipu.org}} The elections were conducted with a clean majority system in 250 constituencies.{{Cite book|url=https://www.iri.org/sites/default/files/fields/field_files_attached/resource/albanias_1991_parliamentary_elections.pdf|title=The 1991 Elections in Albania|publisher=National Republican Institute for International Affairs|year=1991|location=Tirana|pages=7}} 98.2% of voters took part in the voting. The participating parties registered a total of 1,074 candidates while 17 of the candidates were independent. The final election results declared the Labor Party the winner with 56.17% of the vote. The Democratic Party won 38.71% of the vote, the Republican Party 1.77%, the Omonia Organization 0.73%, the Agrarian Party 0.07% and the Veterans Committee 0.28%. With a 250-seat parliament, the results were translated into 169 deputies for the Labor Party, the Democratic Party 75 deputies, Omonia 5 deputies and the Veterans Committee 1 deputy. The Democratic Party achieved high results and received a larger number of deputies compared to the Labor Party in the main cities such as: Durrës (13 deputies out of 19 in total), Shkodër (16 out of 19 in total), Tirana (19 out of 29). Whereas in Krujë and Vlorë the number of deputies of the two major parties was equal. This was considered a great victory for the DP given that the communist party that had ruled the country for about 50 years still continued to have strong control over the population, especially in those living in rural areas and still doubting that the dictatorship would fall.{{Cite book|last=Zogaj|first=Preç|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0Q2rzQEACAAJ&q=Pre%C3%A7+Zogaj,+Fillimet|title=Fillimet|publisher=UET Press|year=2014|isbn=9789928190185|edition=2nd|pages=349|language=sq}}

On 8 May 2000, the Albanian Parliament approved the Electoral Code only with the votes of the Socialists, which had an overwhelming majority in the assembly that emerged from the 1997 elections.{{Cite web |title=ALBANIA: parliamentary elections Kuvendi Popullor, 1997 |url=http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2001_97.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920045117/http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2001_97.htm |archive-date=September 20, 2023 |access-date=2021-11-14 |website=archive.ipu.org}} The Democratic Party rejected the Electoral Code in its entirety due to the composition of the Central Election Commission (KQZ or CEC) of 6 members. They boycotted his approval in parliament even though he had attended most of the roundtables organized for the debate over the Electoral Code. According to the new Electoral Code, voting in Albania would be based on a mixed, majority-proportional electoral system. From where 100 deputies, in the 140-seat parliament, would be elected by majority vote from single-member constituencies, while 40 seats were filled by national multi-member lists of political parties in order to achieve a proportional approach between nationally received votes and deputies which represented a political party in the assembly. To win a proportional mandate, political parties had to cross the 2.5% electoral threshold, while coalitions had to cross the 4% threshold.{{Cite web|date=8 May 2000|title=Kodi Zgjedhor i Republikës së Shqipërisë, Ligj Nr.8609, datë 08.05.2000|url=https://qbz.gov.al/eli/fz/2000/12|url-status=live|website=Center of Official Publications|location=Tirana|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211114194409/https://qbz.gov.al/eli/fz/2000/12 |archive-date=2021-11-14 }}

{{See also|President of Albania}}

The election of the president of Albania is regulated by the constitution of Albania, particularly outlined in the fourth part, comprising articles 86 to 94.{{sfn|OSCE|1998|pp=17–18}} To be eligible for candidacy, individuals must fulfill several criteria as delineated in the constitution: they must be Albanian citizens by birth, have resided in Albania for no less than the past 10 years, be at least 40 years of age, and possess the right to vote.{{sfn|OSCE|1998|p=17|loc=article 86}} The constitution mandates that the president shall not occupy any other public office, be affiliated with any political party, or engage in private business activities.{{sfn|OSCE|1998|p=18|loc=article 89}} The electoral process commences with the parliament of Albania, which is responsible for scheduling elections at least 30 days prior to the expiration of the incumbent term of the president.{{sfn|OSCE|1998|p=17|loc=article 87}} Candidates are nominated through a formal process in which a group of at least 20 members of the total 140 members of the parliament may propose an individual for the presidency.{{sfn|OSCE|1998|p=17|loc=article 87}}

The election is conducted by the parliament through a secret ballot without debate, requiring a candidate to secure a majority of three-fifths of all members of the parliament.{{sfn|OSCE|1998|p=17|loc=article 87}} If this majority is not achieved in the first ballot, a second ballot is held within seven days, followed by a third ballot if necessary. If no candidate receives the required majority after the third ballot, a fourth ballot occurs within seven days, limited to the two candidates with the highest votes from the previous round.{{sfn|OSCE|1998|p=17|loc=article 87}} If neither candidate secures the necessary majority in the fourth ballot, a fifth ballot is conducted. If, after the fifth ballot, neither candidate achieves the required majority, the parliament is dissolved, necessitating subsequent parliamentary elections within 60 days.{{sfn|OSCE|1998|p=17|loc=article 87}} The successive elected parliament is then responsible for electing the president according to the procedures regulated in the constitution. Further, if the parliament fails to elect a president, it correspondingly will be dissolved, requiring another round of general elections within the same period.{{sfn|OSCE|1998|p=17|loc=article 87}}

The president begins their duties after taking an oath before the parliament, affirming their commitment to uphold the constitution and laws of Albania, respect the rights and freedoms of citizens, protect the independence of the nation, and serve the general interest and progress of the Albanians.{{sfn|OSCE|1998|p=17|loc=article 88}} The term of office for the president is defined at five years, with the possibility of re-election for a maximum of two consecutive terms.{{sfn|OSCE|1998|p=17|loc=article 88}} In the event that a president resigns before the end of their term, they are prohibited from being a candidate in the subsequent presidential election.{{sfn|OSCE|1998|p=17|loc=article 88}} When the president is temporarily unable to exercise their functions or if the office becomes vacant, the speaker of the parliament of Albania assumes the responsibilities of the president.{{sfn|OSCE|1998|p=18|loc=article 91}} If the president is unable to fulfill their duties for more than 60 days, the parliament must decide, by a two-thirds majority, whether to refer the issue to the constitutional court.{{sfn|OSCE|1998|p=18|loc=article 91}} The court determines the incapacity of the president, and if incapacity is confirmed, the election of a successive president must commence within 10 days of such determination.{{sfn|OSCE|1998|p=18|loc=article 91}}

{{Main|2022 Albanian presidential election}}

{{2022 Albanian presidential election results}}

{{See also|Prime Minister of Albania|Council of Ministers (Albania)}}

{{See also|2021 Albanian parliamentary election}}

{{Election results

| image = File:Albania Parliament 2021.svg

| party1 = Socialist Party

| votes1 = 768134

| seats1 = 74

| sc1 = 0

| party2 = Democratic Party{{spaced ndash}}Alliance for Change

| votes2 = 622187

| seats2 = 59

| sc2 = New

| party3 = Socialist Movement for Integration

| votes3 = 107538

| seats3 = 4

| sc3 = –15

| party4 = Social Democratic Party

| votes4 = 35475

| seats4 = 3

| sc4 = +2

| color4 = {{party color|Social Democratic Party of Albania (2021)}}

| party5 = {{lang|sq|Nisma Thurje|i=no}}

| votes5 = 10217

| seats5 = 0

| sc5 = New

| party6 = Democratic Conviction

| votes6 = 8239

| seats6 = 0

| sc6 = New

| party7 = Movement for Change

| votes7 = 7054

| seats7 = 0

| sc7 = New

| party8 = Albanian Democratic Movement Party

| votes8 = 4705

| seats8 = 0

| sc8 = New

| color8 = #0148B4

| party9 = New Movement Party

| votes9 = 3767

| seats9 = 0

| sc9 = New

| color9 = #233F92

| party10 = New Democracy Alliance Party

| votes10 = 3232

| seats10 = 0

| sc10 = New

| color10 = #F7ED14

| party11 = Albanian National Front Party

| votes11 = 1946

| seats11 = 0

| sc11 = New

| party12 = National Hour Alliance{{spaced ndash}}Emigration{{spaced ndash}}People's Union and Conservatives

| votes12 = 1376

| seats12 = 0

| sc12 = New

| color12 = #FEC472

| party13 = Independents

| votes13 = 4247

| seats13 = 0

| sc13 =

| valid = 1578117

| invalid = 83059

| electorate = 3588869

| source = KQZ{{cite web |publisher=Komisioni Qendror i Zgjedhjeve (KQZ) |title=Zgjedhjet për Kuvend 25 prill 2021 |url=https://kqz.gov.al/results/results2021/results2021.htm |access-date=1 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512091928/http://www.kqz.gov.al/results/results2021.htm |archive-date=12 May 2021 |location=Tirana |language=sq |url-status=live}} and OSCE{{cite web |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) |title=Albania, Parliamentary Elections, 25 April 2021: Final Report |url=https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/albania/493687 |access-date=25 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240527025659/https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/albania/493687 |archive-date=27 May 2024 |date=26 July 2021 |url-status=live}}}}

=== List ===

This is a list of parliamentary elections in Albania from the year 1921 till present day. Direct presidential elections have not been held.{{cite web |title=A e dini se këto janë zgjedhjet e 27 parlamentare në Shqipëri?! |url=http://www.gazetaexpress.com/lajme-nga-shqiperia/a-e-dini-se-keto-jane-zgjedhjet-e-27-parlamentare-ne-shqiperi-historia-394703 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118124233/http://www.gazetaexpress.com/lajme-nga-shqiperia/a-e-dini-se-keto-jane-zgjedhjet-e-27-parlamentare-ne-shqiperi-historia-394703/ |archive-date=January 18, 2018 |accessdate=2017-12-27 |website=Gazeta Express}}[https://books.google.com/books?id=9gGKtLTQlUcC&dq=albania+elections+1992+turnout&pg=PA718 Political Parties of Eastern Europe]

The candidates column lists only the number of candidates for mayor of the municipality. It does not include candidates for member of the municipal council.[http://www.gazetatema.net/2011/04/02/historia-e-zgjedhjeve-lokale-ne-shqiperi-fitoret-e-ps-dhe-te-pd Historia e zgjedhjeve lokale në Shqipëri]

• Electoral calendar
• Electoral system

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Refbegin|30em|indent=yes}}

• {{cite book |title=The 1991 Elections in Albania |date=1991 |publisher=National Republican Institute for International Affairs (NRIIA) |url=http://www.electionpassport.com/files/1991-IRI-Report.pdf |access-date=18 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231008054722/http://www.electionpassport.com/files/1991-IRI-Report.pdf |archive-date=8 October 2023 |url-status=live |ref={{harvid|NRIIA|1991}}}}
• {{cite web |publisher=Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) |title=The Elections in Albania March-April 1991 |date=April 1991 |url=https://www.csce.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/The-Elections-in-Albania.pdf |access-date=18 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240921140410/https://www.csce.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/The-Elections-in-Albania.pdf |archive-date=21 September 2024 |url-status=live |ref={{harvid|CSCE|1991}}}}
• {{cite web |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) |title=Constitution of the Republic of Albania |url=https://www.osce.org/albania/41888 |access-date=11 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231007145116/https://www.osce.org/albania/41888 |archive-date=7 October 2023 |date=22 November 1998 |url-status=live |ref={{harvid|OSCE|1998}}}}
• {{cite book |last=Elsie |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Elsie |title=Historical Dictionary of Albania |year=2010 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=9-780-8-1087-3803 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6inIiCF_930C |access-date=26 October 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231026173805/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Historical_Dictionary_of_Albania/6inIiCF_930C |archive-date=26 October 2023 |url-status=live}}
• {{cite web |publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) |title=Transitional Justice in Albania |url=https://www.osce.org/presence-in-albania/445090 |access-date=18 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240721073220/https://www.osce.org/presence-in-albania/445090 |archive-date=21 July 2024 |date=30 January 2020 |url-status=live |ref={{harvid|OSCE|2020}}}}
• {{cite web |last=Luarasi |first=Aleks |publisher=North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) |title=Legal and Institutional Reform in Albania after the Democratic Revolution (1991{{spaced ndash}}1997) |url=https://www.nato.int/acad/fellow/95-97/luarasi.pdf |access-date=20 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913170732/https://www.nato.int/acad/fellow/95-97/luarasi.pdf |archive-date=13 September 2024 |date=May 1997 |url-status=live |ref={{harvid|NATO|1997}}}}

{{Refend}}

{{Albanian elections}}

{{Albania topics}}

{{Elections in Europe}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elections In Albania}}