Elections in Armenia: National Assembly Elections

• Election Day: June 7, 2026 
• Registered voters: 2,485,232 (as of May 30, 2026) 
• Polling stations: 2,005 
• Seats: At least 101 
• Candidate lists: 18 (as of May 30, 2026) 
• Electoral System: Closed List Proportional Representation 
• Candidates:  2,103 (794 women, 1,309 men)
• Campaign expenditure and donation limits: AMD 800 million (about $2.16 million), donations are made from the party accounts where an Armenian citizen can donate up to AMD 10 million (about $27,000) annually 
• Domestic and international observers: 13 citizen observer groups are accredited (as of May 30, 2026) and several international election observation missions, including from OSCE-ODIHR, IRI and OIF, will observe the polls. 

Elections for Armenia’s National Assembly (parliament) will take place on June 7, 2026. Polls will  be open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. 

The official campaign period begins five days after the final day of registration and ends one day before Election Day. For 2026, that means a campaign period starting May 8 and ending June 5. The day before Election Day, June 6, is a “silent” day during which no campaigning is allowed. 

The elections on June 7, 2026, are Armenia’s first regular National Assembly elections since 2017, following two snap elections held after major political and security crises in 2018 and 2021. The 2018 elections followed a democratic revolution that reshaped the political landscape. Three  years later, in 2021, snap elections were called after Armenia’s 2020 defeat in the war with  Azerbaijan and subsequent domestic turbulence. 

The electoral and political environment in Armenia is polarized, shaped by the legacies of the  2018 revolution, the 2020 war, the displacement of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023  and ongoing efforts to finalize a peace agreement with Azerbaijan and to normalize relations with Türkiye. At the same time, Armenia has deepened its relationship with the European Union,  including the deployment of a European Union civilian monitoring mission and the adoption of a  strategic agenda for partnership. 

The June 7 elections are an important test of Armenia’s ability to consolidate its democratic gains since 2018 while managing intense polarization and complex security challenges. They will  determine the composition of the National Assembly that will guide the country’s domestic  reforms, foreign policy alignment, implementation of any peace arrangements with Azerbaijan  and normalization steps with Turkey over the next five years.

The elections will also test Armenia’s electoral institutions and legal safeguards, including the effectiveness of measures against the misuse of administrative resources, opacity in campaign finance, foreign information manipulation and interference and hate speech in political discourse. 

Armenian citizens are voting for members of the National Assembly (parliament).The National  Assembly has a minimum of 101 seats (with four optional additional seats for ethnic minorities). Nineteen political parties or alliances are competing for parliamentary seats. 

The National Assembly exercises legislative power, adopts the state budget, oversees the  executive and performs other functions defined by Armenia’s constitution and law. 

Armenia has a parliamentary system of government. The unicameral National Assembly is the legislative body, and the prime minister is the head of government. Members of parliament are elected for five-year terms. 

National Assembly elections will be conducted through closed list proportional representation. This system allots seats to political parties that meet an electoral threshold of four percent. Alliances of political parties must meet a threshold of 8 percent – or 10 percent if an alliance includes more than three political parties. Seats are distributed proportionally among the winning parties and  alliances, according to the number of votes received nationwide. 

The Electoral Code includes a majority bonus mechanism to promote stable governance. If the  winning party or alliance secures a majority but less than 52 percent of seats, additional seats are  allocated to bring its total representation up to 52 percent. 

The primary legal framework for the 2026 parliamentary elections consists of the Constitution of  the Republic of Armenia and the Electoral Code, adopted as a constitutional law on May 25, 2016, and subsequently amended, including in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2026. The Electoral Code  regulates the fundamentals of elections, voter registration, formation and functioning of electoral  commissions, nomination and registration of candidates and party lists, campaign rules, funding  and campaign finance, voting procedures, counting and tabulation, publication of results, observation and dispute resolution. 

Additionally, the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) adopts secondary regulatory legal acts and  decisions that implement and clarify the Electoral Code. The official timetable for the June 7 election, which establishes the detailed schedule for election-related activities and deadlines, is  one such CEC act. Additional legislation, such as amendments to party finance laws, criminal  code provisions on hate speech and “grave insult,” and other sectoral laws also apply to elections.  Nonetheless, the core electoral procedures are defined by the Electoral Code and CEC decisions.

To run for the National Assembly of Armenia, a person must be at least 25 years old, have held only Armenian citizenship for the previous four years, and have resided in Armenia during that  same four-year period. Candidates must also have command of the Armenian language. Citizens  who hold another nationality are not eligible to run. 

Candidates are nominated by political parties or on party alliance lists; there are no independent  candidates. Lists may include up to 30 percent non-party members or members from other  political parties. Certain officials – including judges, prosecutors, military personnel, police  officers, electoral commission members and some other civil servants – are not permitted to stand  as candidates. 

2,103 candidates are registered on the party lists, including 1,309 men and 794 women. 451 candidates are between 25 and 35 years old, 955 between 36 and 50 years old, 508 between 51 and 65 years old and 189 are 66 years old and over. 

Armenia’s National Assembly does not reserve any seats specifically for women. Instead, the  Electoral Code requires political parties and alliances to submit gender-balanced candidate lists. Women and men must each make up at least 30 percent of candidates, and both genders must appear in each set of three consecutive candidates on the list. (This requirement does not apply  to the section of the list reserved for national minority candidates.) One gender’s overall share on the list may not exceed 70 percent. 

If election results would otherwise produce less than 30 percent representation of one gender, seats are reassigned to candidates of the less represented gender to reach at least 30 percent. 

Campaign expenditures are limited to 800 million Armenian dram (AMD) for the first round – about USD $2.16 million – with an additional AMD 200 million (about USD $539,000) allowed if there is a second round. Excessive campaign expenditures may trigger a fine or the deregistration of a party candidate list through a court decision. All payments from the fund must be non-cash. After the  deadline for registration of electoral lists has passed, banks submit data on balances, inflows, and  outflows of party bank accounts to the Corruption Prevention Commission (CPC) every 3 working  days. Additionally, banks submit reports on financial receipts and disbursements of pre-election  funds to the CEC Oversight and Audit Service within 5 days after the end of the registration period. The CPC and CEC prepare summary reports and regularly publish them on their websites during  the campaign period. 

The CPC reviews financial reports of political parties and checks the legality of party donations  and related information submitted for verification annually. During the campaign period, the  legality of donations is not reviewed by the CPC. While the CEC Oversight and Audit Service  supervises and audits only campaign-fund expenditures.

Donations from legal entities (companies), foreign, or anonymous sources are banned. Candidates must use a dedicated campaign bank account. 

Only political parties are allowed to contribute to the campaign fund. While individuals cannot  contribute directly to the campaign fund, Armenian citizens may contribute to political parties up  to AMD 10 million (about USD $27,000) annually. Such contributions cannot be made in cash. Citizens  making contributions to political parties must indicate their name, surname, and either their public  services number or the number of the certificate confirming they do not have a public services  number. 

Political parties that received at least 2 percent of votes in the last election are eligible for state  funding, based on a regressive scale, in accordance with the number and percentage of votes  received.  

Elections are administered by a three-tier system of electoral commissions. The CEC is the  permanent nationwide body responsible for organizing and overseeing elections and  referendums, ensuring compliance with the Electoral Code and managing state funds allocated  for election administration. The CEC also adopts regulatory and individual legal acts, runs the official website and is responsible for publishing important electoral information, including  timetables, voter lists, financial declarations and results. 

To implement the CEC’s decisions and functions, 38 territorial election commissions and 2,005 precinct election commissions (each corresponding to a polling station) administer elections at  the regional and local levels. Approximately 16,040 poll workers will staff the polling stations. Each  level of the election management system also has its own responsibilities, including polling station  management and counting.  

The National Assembly elects the six members of the CEC and the CEC Chair. All CEC sessions  are public and are streamed online. 38 Territorial electoral commissions are formed, 28 in the marzes (provinces) and 10 in the city of Yerevan, to supervise elections in their service areas, including the tabulation of results from precincts. Precinct electoral commissions administer voting  and counting at the polling station level. 

For the 2026 National Assembly election and building on lessons from previous electoral cycles, the CEC has improved the integrity and resilience of election technologies through enhanced  cybersecurity protocols, tighter access controls and regular systems testing for voter databases,  results transmission and election management software. These measures have been  complemented by contingency planning and backup procedures to ensure operational continuity  in the event of disruptions or malicious interference. 

Procedurally, the CEC has reinforced internal controls, clarified roles and responsibilities related  to election technology oversight and expanded staff training on cyber hygiene, information security and incident response. Coordination mechanisms with national cybersecurity authorities  and relevant state institutions have been strengthened to enable timely threat assessments,  information sharing and rapid responses to suspected interference or disinformation incidents. 

The Information Systems Agency of Armenia (ISAA) was established in 2022 to investigate and  coordinate responses to cybersecurity incidents affecting Armenia’s critical infrastructure,  including election infrastructure. ISAA staff are seconded to the CEC to provide advisory and  technical support for protecting election-related information systems from cyber threats. 

In parallel, the CEC has taken steps to increase transparency and public confidence by  communicating clearly about election technologies and safeguards, supporting observation and  verification processes and engaging with media and civil society to counter false narratives related  to electoral integrity. 

Voter registration is passive. The voter register is extracted from the State Population Register, maintained by the Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Interior. Voter lists are  posted on the CEC website and at the front of each polling station for public awareness.  Inaccuracies and omissions must be reported to the police no later than 12 days before Election  Day. However, on Election Day, precinct election commissions may include a person in the  supplementary voter lists if a citizen presents a court decision or a confirmation from the passport  desk that the person’s name was omitted in the main voter list.  

Voters who are in precincts temporarily – including police personnel and members of precinct  election commissions – may be added to voter lists up to 12 days before Election Day. Hospitals  submit lists of their in-patient voters no later than seven days before an election. People in in patient hospitals and preliminary detention centers may vote using a mobile ballot box. 

There were 2,482,872 eligible voters in Armenia as of May 8, 2026. 

Armenia’s legal framework incorporates significant formal guarantees and mechanisms to support  the participation and representation of women, persons with disabilities, national minorities and  other groups. Nonetheless, effective implementation and broader rights protections remain contested ahead of the 2026 elections. 

The Electoral Code is grounded in the principles of universal, equal, free and direct suffrage and  prohibits discrimination in the exercise of electoral rights on grounds including nationality, race,  sex, language, religion, political views, social origin or other status. The code also requires  gender-balanced party lists; in each group of three candidates in the first part of a party list, no  more than 70 percent may be of the same sex. Additional corrective rules apply during mandate allocation to help ensure minimum representation of each sex. The law also requires  representation of both sexes on the CEC and TECs. 

For persons with disabilities and voters with mobility or vision difficulties, polling stations must be  selected and adapted to be accessible as much as possible, and the CEC must publish a list of  accessible precincts at least 40 days before Election Day. Voters with mobility difficulties may  request to transfer from their assigned precinct to an accessible precinct of their choice up to 12  days before Election Day. Tactile ballot guides are provided to all polling stations together with  the list of registered parties and party alliances running for the 2026 National Assembly elections. 

Local authorities may take additional measures to facilitate accessible voting. Polling station  layout and furnishing must support safe, independent movement. 

To support voters with hearing impairments, public television must provide sign language  interpretation during free and paid election airtime, and debates and audiovisual campaign  programs must be subtitled in Armenian. 

Out-of-country voting is not allowed for most Armenian citizens, although diplomats and members of the military assigned abroad may vote via a secure electronic voting system in advance of Election Day. 

Domestic and international observers are permitted to observe elections in Armenia. Domestic observers are typically representatives of registered nongovernmental organizations whose  charters include election observation and the protection of human rights. Foreign and international  organizations may observe elections by invitation from the president, the speaker of parliament,  the prime minister or the CEC. 

To obtain accreditation, observer organizations must apply to the CEC, which reviews  applications to ensure organizations meet eligibility requirements. Political parties running in  elections are allowed to have proxies present at polling stations on Election Day.  

Accredited observers are granted the right to be present at polling stations, observe the voting  and counting processes and report on their findings, provided they do not interfere with the  conduct of the election. Observers must remain neutral and may not express preferential attitudes  toward a candidate or political party. 

In January 2026, Armenia amended its Electoral Code to tighten the rules governing domestic  election observation. The amendments clarified and expanded political neutrality requirements  for observers, introduced stricter eligibility criteria for observation organizations and explicitly  empowered the CEC to deny or revoke observer accreditation if neutrality is violated. The law  also established clearer sanctioning rules distinguishing between individual observer misconduct  and systemic violations by entire organizations and strengthened procedural requirements for  accreditation ahead of elections.

Law enforcement agencies are primarily responsible for managing Election Day security by ensuring public order, voters’ safety and smooth operations at polling stations. Police officers are  typically deployed at polling locations to prevent disturbances, support the integrity of the voting  process and respond to any incidents that may arise.  

The CEC may coordinate with security services to address potential risks and ensure compliance  with legal requirements regarding access and conduct at polling stations. 

After voting ends on Election Day, precinct electoral commissions begin counting the votes at  each polling station. Vote counting is conducted in public and in the presence of proxies,  observers, visitors and media representatives, who are entitled to be in the voting room and  observe the process – including photographing and filming – as long as they do not disrupt the electoral commission’s work. 

The CEC will announce preliminary results within 24 hours after polls close and declare final results to the National Assembly on June 14, 2026. If no parliamentary majority emerges after the  distribution of seats or by coalition within nine days after the announcement of final results, then  the CEC will call for a second round of elections, to take place 35 days after Election Day. 

The Electoral Code guarantees the right to challenge electoral commissions’ decisions, actions  or inaction, and provides multiple mechanisms for dispute resolution. Voters and other  stakeholders may challenge inaccuracies in voter lists before Election Day; such applications are  addressed by the authorized body and, when necessary, by a superior administrative body (the  CEC) or the courts. 

After Election Day, candidates, proxies and members of precinct electoral commissions may  apply to the relevant territorial electoral commission to request recounts of precinct results or have  precinct voting declared invalid. For the 2026 elections, applications for recount or for declaring voting in a precinct invalid may be submitted on June 8 and 9. Territorial electoral commissions  must conclude recounts by 2 p.m. on June 12. 

Authorized persons, including political parties and alliances, may submit an application to the  CEC to declare the election results invalid at the national level at least two days before 6 p.m. on  June 12, 2026 – the deadline for summarizing results. Armenia’s Electoral Code also allows  authorized representatives, proxies, commission members and non-voting electors to submit  applications (within three days after Election Day) regarding allegations of one person voting in  place of another.

Appeals to the National Assembly regarding final election results must be lodged with the  Constitutional Court within the time limits and following the procedures defined in the Electoral  Code and the Constitution.

• Electoral Code of the Republic of Armenia (Constitutional Law), adopted on 25 May 2016 • ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission Report: Republic of Armenia Parliamentary Elections:  7 June 2026 

• IRI Pre-Election Assessment Mission to Armenia’s 2026 Parliamentary Elections:  Statement of Findings and Recommendations 

In Armenia, IFES supports state institutions and civil society in their work to advance democratic  reforms. IFES does not work directly with political parties and does not conduct election  observation or accredit observers. In Armenia and around the world, together with our partners,  we support local efforts to build resilient democracies that deliver for all. Our vision is a world  where people are free, societies are democratic, and elections are fair. 

These FAQs reflect decisions made by the CEC as of May 6, 2026, to the best of our knowledge.  This document does not represent any International Foundation for Electoral Systems policy or  technical recommendations.  

This FAQ is made possible by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency  (Sida).