The following elections occurred in 1961.
Africa
- 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
Asia
- 1961 Iranian legislative election
- 1961 Israeli legislative election
- 1961 Kuwaiti Constitutional Convention election
- Philippines
- 1961 Syrian parliamentary election
Australia
Europe
- 1961 Belgian general election
- 1961 Danish electoral age referendum
- France:
- 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:
- 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
Americas
- Canada:
- United States:
Caribbean
- 1961 Salvadoran Constitutional Assembly election
- 1961 Guatemalan parliamentary election
- 1961 Haitian presidential referendum
- 1961 British Honduras legislative election
- 1961 Trinidad and Tobago general election
South America
- 1961 British Guiana general election
- 1961 Chilean parliamentary election
- 1961 Mexican legislative election
Oceania
Australia
- 1961 Australian federal election
- 1961 New South Wales referendum
- 1961 Paddington-Waverley state by-election
- 1961 Victorian state election