**'500 Candidates Already Won': Democracy Bypassed Before Vote Even Starts in South Korea** More than 500 candidates in South Korea's upcoming local elections have already secured their seats before a single ballot is cast, because no one ran against them. The June 3 elections will decide mayors, governors, and local council positions across the country. But for a significant portion of those offices, voters will have no choice on election day. Officials say the lack of competition reflects weak local party organizations and low interest in some rural areas [150752]. This situation is an extreme example of a broader challenge facing democracies worldwide. In the United States, the first major primaries of the 2026 midterm elections are being held today, with voters in Texas, North Carolina, and Arkansas selecting candidates for Congress. These primaries will shape the November ballot, determining which candidates compete for control of the U.S. House and Senate [92282]. Meanwhile, in Mississippi and Georgia, primary voters head to the polls, including a special election to fill a vacant U.S. House seat after a redistricting process changed the political map [98324]. Other nations are also voting. France has begun nationwide municipal elections for mayors and local councils in 35,000 towns and cities, which analysts view as a key test for national party strength ahead of next year's presidential vote [103079, 103520]. In Malawi, voters cast ballots in critical by-elections that could shift the balance of power in local governments and parliament [105167]. And in Bangladesh, millions of young, first-time voters head to the polls after a student-led uprising ended the long rule of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina [74170]. Back in the U.S., a different kind of democratic test is unfolding. Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict former President Donald Trump, faces a primary election that will test Trump's hold on the party. The race is a direct challenge to Trump's political influence [151060, 150873, 150951]. Adding to confusion, votes cast in Louisiana’s House primary on Saturday will not count, as state officials moved the election to November to allow time for redrawing congressional maps [151211]. Meanwhile, a debate over democratic legitimacy intensifies. The Voting Rights Act, a law passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in 1965 to end discriminatory voting practices, has been repeatedly weakened by the Supreme Court in rulings that removed key enforcement provisions. Critics argue that a small group of unelected judges is dismantling a law that enjoyed broad public consensus, raising fundamental questions about which institution has a stronger claim to represent the will of the people [151213]. Former Vice President Kamala Harris has ignited a political firestorm by calling for expanding the Supreme Court and overhauling the Electoral College, a move Republicans condemned as a threat to long-standing democratic structures [151055]. Across the Atlantic, Britain's pattern of rapid prime ministerial turnover—May, Johnson, Truss, Sunak—raises serious questions about whether the country is becoming ungovernable. Experts warn that big strategic decisions are delayed, public finances wobble, and promised reforms are watered down, drawing parallels to the collapse of the French Fourth Republic in 1958 [151354]. 500 South Korean Officials Already Elected Before Voting Starts 2026 Election Season Kicks Off: Texas, North Carolina, Arkansas Vote First Veteran vs. Upstart: Key U.S. House Primaries Test Voter Mood France's Presidential Preview: Local Elections Begin Nationwide France Votes: Millions Choose Local Leaders in Key Elections Malawi Votes Under Pressure: High-Stakes By-Elections Test Nation Bangladesh's Youth Vote Tests New Political Era Trump Republican Voter? Senator Faces Revenge Vote Trump Voted for Conviction. Now He Faces Voters. Cassidy vs. Trump: Louisiana Senate Seat at Risk in Saturday Primary Louisiana Votes Cancelled: Ballots Won’t Count After Election Delay Voting Rights Act: Court Critics Face a Democracy Problem Harris Plan to 'Transform' Supreme Court Sparks GOP Fury Is Britain Becoming Ungovernable? PMs Keep Falling

Kentucky Republican Faces Tough Primary in Unpredictable State