diff --git a/app/controllers/ElectionsApi.scala b/app/controllers/ElectionsApi.scala
index b556200..9d2ce1f 100644
--- a/app/controllers/ElectionsApi.scala
+++ b/app/controllers/ElectionsApi.scala
@@ -1513,6 +1513,10 @@ object ElectionsApi
       .flatMap { election =>
         val configJson = Json.parse(election.configuration)
         val config = configJson.validate[ElectionConfig].get
+
+        // If this is a virtual election, also delete datastores for subelections
+        val virtualSubelections = config.virtualSubelections.getOrElse(Array[Long]())
+
         val url = eoUrl(config.director, "public_api/delete")
         WS.url(url).post(
           Json.obj(
@@ -1524,9 +1528,20 @@ object ElectionsApi
           } else {
             BadRequest(error(s"EO returned status ${resp.status} with body ${resp.body}", ErrorCodes.EO_ERROR))
           }
+        }.map { _ =>
+          // Delete the parent election from database
+          DAL.elections.delete(id)
+
+          // Delete datastore for parent election
+          Datastore.deleteDatastore(id)
+
+          // Delete datastores for all virtual subelections
+          virtualSubelections.foreach { subElectionId =>
+            Logger.info(s"Deleting datastore for virtual subelection $subElectionId of parent election $id")
+            Datastore.deleteDatastore(subElectionId)
+          }
         }
       }.map { _ =>
-        DAL.elections.delete(id)
         Ok(response("ok"))
       }.recover {
         case e: NoSuchElementException =>
diff --git a/app/utils/Datastore.scala b/app/utils/Datastore.scala
index ace1726..6cbad23 100644
--- a/app/utils/Datastore.scala
+++ b/app/utils/Datastore.scala
@@ -191,6 +191,39 @@ object Datastore {
     }
   }
 
+  /** Recursively deletes a directory and all its contents */
+  private def deleteDirectoryRecursively(directory: File): Unit = {
+    if (directory.isDirectory) {
+      val files = directory.listFiles()
+      if (files != null) {
+        files.foreach { file =>
+          if (file.isDirectory) {
+            deleteDirectoryRecursively(file)
+          } else {
+            file.delete()
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    directory.delete()
+  }
+
+  /** deletes all datastore directories for an election (both private and public) */
+  def deleteDatastore(electionId: Long) = {
+    val privatePath = getDirPath(electionId, public = false).toFile
+    val publicPath = getDirPath(electionId, public = true).toFile
+
+    if (privatePath.exists()) {
+      Logger.info(s"Deleting private datastore directory for election $electionId: ${privatePath.getAbsolutePath}")
+      deleteDirectoryRecursively(privatePath)
+    }
+
+    if (publicPath.exists()) {
+      Logger.info(s"Deleting public datastore directory for election $electionId: ${publicPath.getAbsolutePath}")
+      deleteDirectoryRecursively(publicPath)
+    }
+  }
+
 
   // UNUSED remove