Parliamentary elections will be held in Armenia on Sunday, June 7, 2026. These will be the first regularly scheduled elections since 2017, marking a return to the country’s standard electoral cycle after years shaped by early elections triggered by political and military developments.
Electoral Framework
Armenia elects its National Assembly through a proportional representation system using party lists.
Under the current Electoral Code, the threshold for political parties to enter parliament is set at 4%. For electoral alliances, the threshold is 8% for blocs of up to three parties and 10% for blocs consisting of four or more parties.
Armenian law also guarantees that at least three political forces are represented in parliament, even if fewer surpass the electoral threshold.
There is no minimum turnout requirement for elections to be considered valid.
To ensure the formation of a stable governing majority, the Electoral Code includes a runoff mechanism. If no party or alliance secures a majority of seats and coalition negotiations fail within six days, a second round is held 28 days after the initial vote. Only the two leading forces participate, and the winner is allocated additional mandates to secure a governing majority of at least 54% of seats.
Recent amendments have also removed previous restrictions on the number of parties that may participate in post-election coalitions.
Candidate and Party Requirements
To be eligible for election to the National Assembly, candidates must be at least 25 years old, hold only Armenian citizenship, have resided in Armenia for the previous four years and be proficient in the Armenian language.
Political parties and alliances must submit nationwide electoral lists. These lists are subject to gender representation requirements, ensuring that at least one-third of candidates are women.
Election Administration and Timeline
According to standard Electoral Code procedures, parties and alliances must submit applications to participate several weeks before election day, followed by a formal registration process conducted by the Central Electoral Commission.
The official campaign period begins approximately 30 days before the election and concludes on the day preceding the vote.
Campaign Finance Regulations
All campaign-related financial activity must be conducted through a dedicated pre-election fund. Campaign expenses, including media outreach, polling, office rentals and promotional materials, must be paid exclusively from this fund.
Campaign spending is subject to established limits, with higher caps permitted if a second round of voting takes place.
Armenian law prohibits foreign citizens, organizations and states from financing or participating in election campaigns. Political parties are also barred from receiving financial contributions from non-citizens or foreign entities.
Violations of campaign finance rules may result in legal consequences, including potential review by the Constitutional Court.
Context
The 2026 elections mark a significant moment in Armenia’s political cycle, as the country returns to regularly scheduled parliamentary elections after several years defined by extraordinary political developments.
