The following elections occurred in 1961.

• 1961 French referendum on Algerian self-determination
• 1961 British Cameroons referendum
• 1961 Burundian legislative election
• 1961 Ethiopian general election
• 1961 Gabonese general election
• 1961 Guinean presidential election
• 1961 Kenyan legislative election
• 1961 Mauritanian presidential election
• 1961 Nyasaland general election
• 1961 Republic of the Congo presidential election
• 1961 Rwandan parliamentary election
• 1961 South African general election
• 1961 Southern Rhodesian constitution referendum
• 1961 Togolese general election
• 1961 Ugandan general election
• January 1961 Zanzibari general election
• June 1961 Zanzibari general election

• 1961 Iranian legislative election
• 1961 Israeli legislative election
• 1961 Kuwaiti Constitutional Convention election
• Philippines
  • 1961 Philippine House of Representatives elections
  • 1961 Philippine Senate election
  • 1961 Philippine general election
  • 1961 Philippine presidential election
• 1961 Syrian parliamentary election

• 1961 Australian federal election
• 1961 Victorian state election

• 1961 Belgian general election
• 1961 Danish electoral age referendum
• France:
  • 1961 French cantonal elections
  • French referendum on Algerian self-determination, 1961
• 1961 West German federal election
• 1961 Greek legislative election
• 1961 Irish general election
• Italy: 1961 Sardinian regional election
• 1961 Norwegian parliamentary election
• 1961 Polish legislative election
• 1961 Portuguese legislative election
• 1961 Romanian legislative election
• Turkey:
  • 1961 Turkish constitutional referendum
  • 1961 Turkish general election
  • 1961 Turkish Senate election
• United Kingdom:
  • 1961 Birmingham Small Heath by-election
  • 1961 Bristol South East by-election
  • 1961 Cambridgeshire by-election
  • 1961 East Fife by-election
  • 1961 Glasgow Bridgeton by-election
  • High Peak by-election
  • 1961 Labour Party leadership election
  • 1961 Labour Party deputy leadership election
  • 1961 London County Council election
  • 1961 Manchester Moss Side by-election
  • 1961 Oswestry by-election
  • 1961 Paisley by-election
  • 1961 Warrington by-election
  • 1961 Worcester by-election

• Canada:
  • 1961 Edmonton municipal election
  • 1961 New Democratic Party leadership election
  • 1961 Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leadership election
  • 1961 Yukon general election
• United States:
  • 1961 United States gubernatorial elections
  • 1961 Cleveland mayoral election
  • 1961 Dallas mayoral election
  • 1961 Los Angeles mayoral election
  • 1961 Manchester mayoral election
  • 1961 New York City mayoral election
  • 1961 Pittsburgh mayoral election
  • 1961 Springfield mayoral election

• 1961 Salvadoran Constitutional Assembly election
• 1961 Guatemalan parliamentary election
• 1961 Haitian presidential referendum
• 1961 British Honduras legislative election
• 1961 Trinidad and Tobago general election

• 1961 British Guiana general election
• 1961 Chilean parliamentary election
• 1961 Mexican legislative election

• 1961 Australian federal election
• 1961 New South Wales referendum
• 1961 Paddington-Waverley state by-election
• 1961 Victorian state election