The most worrying electoral situation is in Greece, which seems to be mired in permanent recession and unable to comply with the rigid demands for austerity made by its European partners.
Most countries hold elections in at least the formal sense, but in many of them the elections are not competitive (e.g., all but one party may be forbidden to contest) or the electoral situation is in other respects highly compromised.
The electoral situation could change quickly and often in the remaining weeks.
Before getting to that, it is important to recognise just how bad Labour's electoral situation is.
This highly dynamic electoral situation may indicate a well functioning democracy, but it also creates a volatile environment that makes it tough for any government to complete real reforms.
Since the Breakup of 2004 and the ensuing electoral reforms, the situation has become more democratic.
Without his calmness and scrutiny of the electoral process, a situation akin to what occurred in Kenya in 2007/08 – when the losers refused to accept the result, and murderous chaos ensued – may have occurred.
"She has consistently shown an electoral resiliency in difficult situations that have made her a winner," Mr. Penn said.
The White House quickly accused Romney of exploiting a tragic situation for electoral gain.
The LDP and its ally, New Komeito, can muster enough support from other parties to cause gridlock.Koichi Nakano, a political scientist, says the electoral arithmetic suggests this situation could last for another five years at least.
