Senate elections 2026: France votes to renew half of its upper house

Yesterday 16:00

France is holding its senatorial elections on Sunday, September 27, with voters from the country's local and regional political institutions choosing 178 members of the 348-seat Senate.

The election marks the renewal of the Senate's second series of seats and represents the final nationwide electoral event before France's next presidential election in 2027. Unlike presidential or legislative elections, however, the vote is not conducted directly by the general electorate.

A vote shaped by local government

The 2026 election involves 63 departments as well as six Senate seats representing French citizens living abroad. The 178 positions being contested correspond to the Senate's second series, whose previous holders were elected in 2020, with the mandate normally lasting six years.

The electorate is made up of approximately 172,600 so-called major electors. Mayors, municipal councillors and municipal delegates account for about 95% of this electoral college, alongside members of the National Assembly and Senate and regional and departmental councillors.

The system gives local elected officials a central role in determining the composition of the upper house of the French Parliament.

Why the Senate is renewed in stages

France's 348 senators serve six-year terms, but the chamber is not elected in its entirety at the same time. Since 2011, half of the Senate has been renewed every three years, allowing the institution to maintain continuity between electoral cycles.

The first series, comprising 170 seats, was renewed in 2023. The second series, with 178 seats, is being contested in the September 2026 election.

This staggered system distinguishes the Senate from the National Assembly and prevents the upper house from being dissolved and entirely replaced following a single national vote.

Two voting systems depending on the constituency

The method used to elect senators varies according to the number of seats allocated to each constituency.

In constituencies electing one or two senators, candidates compete under a two-round majority system. Where three or more seats are available, voters use proportional representation through party or candidate lists. For the 2026 renewal, 119 senators are being elected by proportional representation, while 59 are being chosen under the majority system.

The arrangement means that the electoral contest differs significantly from one department to another, while the overall outcome will determine the new balance of the upper chamber.

A different kind of national political test

Although the election is decided by local elected representatives rather than the general public, its results will be closely followed across the French political landscape.

The Senate plays a central role in the legislative process and in scrutinising government action. It also has a constitutional responsibility to represent France's territorial communities, giving the composition of the chamber particular importance for local government.

The results will therefore provide a new picture of the political balance among elected representatives at the territorial level, even though they should not be treated as a direct national vote by the French electorate.

The next chapter begins in October

The newly elected senators are scheduled to begin their mandates on October 1. The Senate will then enter a period of institutional renewal, with the election of its president and the formation of its governing bodies scheduled for the opening of the new parliamentary session.

The vote thus closes one stage of France's electoral calendar while opening another. With the presidential election due in 2027, the composition of the Senate will form part of the broader institutional landscape in which the country's political parties and elected officials prepare for the next national political cycle.