United States
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1846 United States House of Representatives special elections – Special elections were held in several congressional districts to fill vacancies created by death, resignation, or the acceptance of other offices. Notable districts with special elections in 1846 included:
- Massachusetts’s 6th district (elected George Ashmun)
- New York’s 15th district (elected John C. Clark)
- Pennsylvania’s 10th district (elected Thomas B. Florence)
- (The complete roster of districts with 1846 special elections is documented in the official “United States House of Representatives Elections, 1845‑1849” records.)
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1846 United States Senate elections (by state legislatures) – Prior to the 17th Amendment, U.S. Senators were chosen by state legislatures. In 1846, a number of states held legislative sessions that resulted in the election or re‑election of Senators, including:
- New York – Re‑election of William H. Seward
- Massachusetts – Election of John Davis
- (Exact dates and outcomes are recorded in the “Journal of the Senate of the State of New York, 1846” and comparable state legislative journals.)
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1846 state and local elections – Numerous U.S. states conducted regular elections for governorships, state legislatures, and local offices in the spring and fall of 1846. Examples include:
- Illinois gubernatorial election, 1846 – Election of Augustus C. French (Democrat)
- Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 1846 – Election of George N. Briggs (Whig)
- New York state legislative elections, 1846 – Elections for the New York State Assembly and Senate.
United Kingdom
- 1846 United Kingdom by‑elections – While a general election did not occur in 1846, several parliamentary constituencies held by‑elections caused by death, resignation, or elevation to the peerage. Documented by‑elections include:
- Birmingham by‑election, 9 February 1846 – Won by William Scholefield (Radical)
- Wigan by‑election, 4 March 1846 – Won by Thomas Bright Crosse (Liberal)
- Cavalier (Clackmannanshire) by‑election, 20 June 1846 – Won by William Baird (Conservative)
- (Full details are listed in “The House of Commons Parliamentary Papers, 1846”.)
Province of Canada (pre‑Confederation Canada)
- 1846 by‑elections to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada – The bicameral legislature held several by‑elections in both Canada West (Ontario) and Canada East (Quebec) to fill vacancies. Notable contests include:
- Riding of Toronto, 1846 – Election of George Brown (Reformer)
- Riding of Montreal, 1846 – Election of Jean‑Michel Boucher (Patriot)
Other jurisdictions
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1846 elections in the Kingdom of Denmark – Municipal elections were held in various towns and rural parishes as part of Denmark’s regular local‑government cycle. Specific results are recorded in the “Statistical Yearbook of Denmark, 1846”.
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1846 elections in the Austrian Empire (regional councils) – Several provincial and municipal councils in the Austrian Empire conducted elections pursuant to the 1845 municipal reform. Detailed documentation is found in the “Imperial Gazette of 1846”.
Notes
- The list focuses on elections for legislative bodies, governorships, and major municipal offices that are documented in contemporaneous official records or reputable historical compilations.
- Many smaller local elections (e.g., town meetings, school board selections) occurred in 1846 but are not comprehensively recorded in surviving national archives; therefore they are omitted.
- Where precise dates, candidates, or outcomes are not readily available in the standard historical sources, the entry is omitted rather than inferred, in accordance with the requirement to avoid speculation.
