92 communes in the former Languedoc-Roussillon and Aveyron regions will hold a second round of voting on March 22nd to determine the outcome of the 2026 municipal elections. An interactive map details the communes where the election remains undecided, and the first-round results for leading lists.
Ninety-two. That’s the number of communes in the former Languedoc-Roussillon and Aveyron where voters will return to the polls on March 22nd for the second round of the 2026 municipal elections. To win in the first round, a list needed to surpass 50% of the votes cast. This rule now applies regardless of a commune’s size, following a reform of the voting system implemented for these elections. This shift in electoral rules is part of a broader trend toward streamlining local governance in France.
A Contrasting Map
Analysis of the first-round results reveals significantly different situations across territories. While many municipalities have already reached a decision, others face a substantial fragmentation of votes requiring a new assessment by voters.
Hérault Leads the Way: With 35 communes heading to a runoff, it’s the department with the most uncertainty. Major urban areas like Montpellier, Sète, Lunel, and Agde are all involved in this second round.
Gard and Pyrénées-Orientales: The election remains open in 16 and 18 communes respectively. Attention will be focused on Nîmes, Alès, Argelès-sur-Mer, and Prades.
Aude, Aveyron, and Lozère: The map of second-round elections is more sparse in these departments, with the majority of verdicts already delivered in the first round. Yet, runoffs will still be held in the prefectures of Carcassonne, Rodez, and Mende.
Locally Open Situations
In some cases, the need for a second round came down to a single vote. In Narbonne (11) and Luc-la-Primaube (12), the leading lists each received exactly 50% of the votes, falling just short of an immediate victory.
Conversely, in communes like Saint-Jean-de-Védas (34) and Mauguio (34), the presence of multiple lists significantly dispersed the votes, with the leading candidate not exceeding 25%. In these scenarios, the formation of alliances and list mergers will be crucial.
Explore Our Interactive Map
Find all the communes heading to a runoff on our interactive map. Each point indicates: the name of the commune, its population, and the score of the list that came in first in the first round.
