practical
Explained: The senate elections taking place in France this September
Half of upper chamber will be contested
The 2026 Senate elections will take place this Sunday, September 27, marking the latest vote in France’s political calendar.
The elections will see 178 of the Senate’s 348 seats contested across 64 constituencies, renewing just over half of the upper chamber.
The election covers 58 metropolitan departments, several overseas territories and one constituency representing French citizens abroad. Six of the 12 senators representing French citizens abroad are also up for re-election.
The map below shows the departments where elections are taking place.
The number written inside the department borders shows the number of senators being elected in that department.
In departments where one or two senators are being elected, a majority voting system is used. In departments where three or more are being elected, proportional representation is used.
Of the 178 seats being contested, 119 will be elected by proportional representation and 59 by the majority system.
Different voting system used
The voting system for France’s upper chamber is different from other elections in France.
French senators are elected through a system of ‘indirect universal suffrage’.
Senators do not stand for a public vote. Instead, they are elected by a college of local elected representatives and other delegates, known as grands électeurs. Around 95% of the electoral college is made up of mayors, deputy mayors and municipal councillors.
The larger a commune is, the more members of its council are represented in the department-wide electoral college. The largest communes also have additional delegates chosen to take part in the vote.
For senators representing French citizens abroad, a separate electoral college is used, made up of elected representatives of French citizens living outside France. Six of the 12 seats representing French citizens abroad are being renewed this year.
Is an upset on the cards?
The indirect voting system has historically benefited parties with strong networks of locally elected representatives, particularly Les Républicains and other parties of the traditional centre and right.
The Senate has remained controlled by a centre-right majority for much of the Fifth Republic, reflecting the importance of municipal elections and local political networks in determining its composition.
The Senate is organised into political groups that do not correspond exactly to the parties represented in the Assemblée nationale, the directly elected lower house.
A group needs at least 10 members. Senators can also be associated with a group without being full members, while those who do not join a group sit as non-inscrits.
The current groups are:
Les Républicains – 131 seats
Socialiste, Écologiste et Républicain – 64 seats
Union Centriste – 59 seats
Les Indépendants – République et Territoires – 20 seats
Rassemblement des démocrates, progressistes et indépendants – 19 seats
Communiste Républicain Citoyen et Écologiste – Kanaky – 18 seats
Rassemblement Démocratique et Social Européen – 17 seats
Écologiste – Solidarité et Territoires – 16 seats
There are also four senators who are not members of any group. The figures include senators who are full members, formally associated with or administratively attached to groups where applicable.
The far-right Rassemblement National currently has four senators, all of whom are non-inscrits rather than members of a Senate group. They are Aymeric Durox, Joshua Hochart, Stéphane Ravier and Didier Maingault.
The 2026 election is being closely watched because of the possibility of the RN increasing its representation in the Senate. The party is standing candidates in a number of departments, including some where it has strengthened its presence among local elected representatives.
A further question is whether the RN could eventually have enough senators to form its own parliamentary group. Such a group would require at least 10 members, although the outcome of Sunday's election would not automatically determine how senators subsequently organise themselves.
The election is also significant for the left. La France Insoumise has traditionally had little representation among local elected officials, despite having a substantial presence in the Assemblée nationale. However, LFI-backed lists are standing in several departments in this year's election.
What do senators do?
Many senators have backgrounds in local government, as well as fields such as education, healthcare and the civil service.
Senators can table amendments to bills and vote on amendments brought forward by MPs when legislation is being considered by both chambers.
This can lead to a drawn-out process and several rounds of back-and-forth on more heavily debated bills, slowing the passage of legislation.
Both chambers normally have to consider legislation, but the Assemblée nationale can ultimately override the Senate in many circumstances if the two houses cannot agree.
Senators in this way are similar to members of the UK House of Lords, although French senators are elected rather than appointed. The Senate is therefore largely a revising chamber, but senators can also introduce their own bills.
