Election observers are the first line of defense for democratic rights and freedoms. They work in some of the most challenging places and are increasingly coming under attack — physical assault, harassment, and threats — while trying to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections. In a new JoD online exclusive, Gerardo de Icaza argues that, in the face of such extraordinary risks, election observers deserve the same protections as human-rights defenders.
The Journal of Democracy essays below highlight the importance of election monitoring, especially in highly polarized, autocratic settings, the dangers that observers face, and the repercussions of rigged contests.
Why Election Observers Are Human-Rights Defenders
Election observers are the first line of defense for democratic rights and freedoms, and they work in some of the most challenging places. They deserve the same protections as human-rights defenders.
Gerardo de IcazaDemocracy’s Frontline Defenders
Across the globe, the people who run our elections are being undermined, targeted, and attacked. Here is how to shore them up — and protect democratic institutions, too.
Fernanda Buril and Erica SheinMaduro Can Only Rule Through Fear and Terror
The Venezuelan strongman lost the election and everyone knows it. He has nothing left to offer but violence and repression. It will be his undoing.
Paola Bautista de AlemánHow Strategic Violence Distorts African Elections
Violence need not be lethal to pose a threat to democracy. Indeed, low-scale violence has proven to be a far more effective means of manipulating elections.
Michael WahmanHow to Compete in Unfair Elections
Opposition movements often boycott rigged polls rather than risk legitimizing an autocrat. It is usually a mistake. Here is the playbook for how one opposition seized the advantage.
Alyena BaturaUganda’s Fraudulent Election
Longtime president Yoweri Museveni, his ruling party, and his increasingly militarized regime opened 2021 with a grossly unfair election. But time may be on the side of Uganda’s young voters and their hunger for change.
Rita Abrahamsen and Gerald BareebeBolivia’s Citizen Revolt
Evo Morales lost the presidency in November 2019 due not to a coup, but to a citizen revolt. After his controversial bid for a fourth consecutive term, the opposition mobilized against him and his regime disintegrated.
Fabrice Lehoucq
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Image credit: OAS