General elections to parliament are a central tool characterising a western-styled democracy. in Burma, the British started to introduce it in 1922 at least in the central parts of their new colony. Only 6.9% of the small number of eligible voters participated. Since then, some more 20 general elections have been held in Burma and Myanmar. The voter turnout rose, but a functioning democratic system did not emerge. The last elections of November 2020 were nullified by the military, an action that gave rise to a new phase of the long-standing civil war. The following essays provide details on the polls held and their constitutional and political contexts.