List of elections in 1981

Africa

• Central African Republic presidential election
• Djiboutian presidential election
• Egyptian presidential confirmation referendum
• Rwandan parliamentary election
• South African general election
• Sudanese parliamentary election

  Asia

• July 1981 Iranian presidential election
• October 1981 Iranian presidential election
• Israeli legislative election
• Nepalese Rastriya Panchayat election
• South Korean presidential election

  Europe

• 1981 Belgian general election
• 1981 Danish parliamentary election
• 1981 Dutch general election
• 1981 Greek legislative election
• 1981 Irish general election
• 1981 Maltese general election
• 1981 Norwegian parliamentary election

  European Parliament

• European Parliament election, 1981

  France

• 1981 French legislative election
• 1981 French presidential election

  North America

• 1981 Honduran general election

  Canada

• 1981 Edmonton municipal plebiscite
• 1981 Manitoba general election
• 1981 Nova Scotia general election
• 1981 Ontario general election
• 1981 Quebec general election

  Caribbean

• 1981 Barbadian general election
• 1981 Trinidad and Tobago general election

  United States

• 1981 United States gubernatorial elections

  United States gubernatorial

• 1981 United States gubernatorial elections

  United States mayoral

• 1981 Pittsburgh mayoral election

  Pennsylvania

• 1981 Pittsburgh mayoral election

  Oceania

• 1981 New Zealand general election

  Australia

• Boothby by-election
• New South Wales state election
• Tasmanian power referendum
• Wentworth by-election

  South America

Falkland Islands

• 1981 Falkland Islands general election