Election Watch for the Digital Age
Tracking the intersection of elections, internet platforms, and human rights around the world.

Election Vulnerability Index
Countries are ranked according to a selection of key election-related indicators, where 0 is the worst and 100 is the best. Learn more about the project.
Election Vulnerability Index indicators are scored on a scale of 0 to 4, where 0 is worst (dark red) and 4 is best (light grey). Download the data.

Digital Sphere | ![]() |
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Vulnerability to internet disruptions | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Blocking of platforms and websites | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
Online content removal | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Disinformation and state control of online information | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Laws criminalizing protected online activities | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Prosecutions for protected online activities | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Extralegal punishment for protected online activities | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Cyberattacks against civic actors | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
Electoral System and Political Participation | ![]() |
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Quality of most recent executive elections | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Quality of most recent legislative elections | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Quality of electoral laws and framework | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Operating environment for political parties | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Freedom and strength of political opposition | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Freedom from undue pressure on political choice | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Political equality and participation | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
Government transparency and accountability | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Human Rights | ![]() |
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Media freedom | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Free expression for private citizens | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Freedom of assembly | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Freedom for NGOs | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Judicial independence | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Due process | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Physical security | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Equal treatment and antidiscrimination | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Freedom from forced ethnic change | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Elections by Country
Albania
Country Facts
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Global Freedom Score
67 100 partly free -
Date of Election
April 25, 2021 -
Type of Election
Parliamentary -
Internet Penetration
70.35% -
Population
2.8 million
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Last Update
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Bulgaria
Country Facts
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Global Freedom Score
80 100 free -
Date of Election
April 4, 2021 -
Type of Election
Parliamentary -
Internet Penetration
66.03% -
Population
6.9 million
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Last Update
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Burkina Faso
Country Facts
-
Global Freedom Score
56 100 partly free -
Date of Election
November 22, 2020 -
Type of Election
General -
Internet Penetration
17.50% -
Population
20.3 million
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Last Update
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Chad
Country Facts
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Global Freedom Score
17 100 not free -
Date of Election
April 11, 2021 -
Type of Election
Presidential -
Internet Penetration
10.25% -
Population
16.9 million
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Last Update
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Côte d'Ivoire
Country Facts
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Global Freedom Score
51 100 partly free -
Date of Election
October 31, 2020 -
Type of Election
Presidential -
Internet Penetration
44.89% -
Population
25.5 million
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Last Update
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Ecuador
Country Facts
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Global Freedom Score
65 100 partly free -
Internet Freedom Score
57 100 partly free -
Date of Election
February 7, 2021 -
Type of Election
General -
Internet Penetration
68.14% -
Population
17.3 million
Incident AlertPresidential elections are headed to a runoff on April 11th after economist Andrés Arauz won the first round with too few votes to secure the presidency. Arauz will face either Guillermo Lasso, a conservative banker, or Yaku Pérez, an Indigenous environmental activist; the contest between Lasso and Pérez remains too close to call. Source.
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Last Update
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El Salvador
Country Facts
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Global Freedom Score
66 100 partly free -
Date of Election
February 28, 2021 -
Type of Election
Legislative -
Internet Penetration
46.41% -
Population
6.5 million
Incident AlertIn the wake of the killing of two FMLN supporters, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) has called on the United Nations, the European Union, and the Organization of American States to deploy international election observers earlier than planned. Observers are scheduled to arrive one week before the election day, but the TSE’s February 2 statement urges advanced deployment “in order to monitor, prevent, and denounce any act of political violence.” Source.
Incident AlertThe Inter-American Commission on Human Rights issued a statement on February 4 calling on El Salvador’s government to protect 34 journalists at the investigative online news outlet El Faro. Since Bukele took office, journalists for the platform have reported receiving threats from government institutions, facing anonymous smear campaigns, and being blocked from accessing government events. Source.
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Last Update
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Ethiopia
Country Facts
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Global Freedom Score
24 100 not free -
Internet Freedom Score
29 100 not free -
Date of Election
June 5, 2021 -
Type of Election
Parliamentary -
Internet Penetration
17.87% -
Population
114.9 million
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Last Update
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Georgia
Country Facts
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Global Freedom Score
61 100 partly free -
Internet Freedom Score
76 100 free -
Date of Election
October 31, 2020 -
Type of Election
Parliamentary -
Internet Penetration
63.81% -
Population
4.0 million
New ReportGeorgia’s net score did not change in the new edition of Freedom on the Net, but the report documented increases in the number of cyberattacks and in domestic content manipulation. Read the Georgia report.
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Last Update
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Iran
Country Facts
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Global Freedom Score
17 100 not free -
Internet Freedom Score
15 100 not free -
Date of Election
June 18, 2021 -
Type of Election
Presidential -
Internet Penetration
73.26% -
Population
84.2 million
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Last Update
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Jordan
Country Facts
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Global Freedom Score
37 100 partly free -
Internet Freedom Score
49 100 partly free -
Date of Election
November 10, 2020 -
Type of Election
Parliamentary -
Internet Penetration
76.90% -
Population
10.4 million
New ReportFreedom House released the new edition of Freedom on the Net, which found that internet freedom in Jordan improved slightly. Read the Jordan report.
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Last Update
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Kyrgyzstan
Country Facts
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Global Freedom Score
38 100 partly free -
Internet Freedom Score
56 100 partly free -
Date of Election
June 2021 -
Type of Election
Parliamentary -
Internet Penetration
42% -
Population
6.6 million
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Last Update
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Mexico
Country Facts
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Global Freedom Score
62 100 partly free -
Internet Freedom Score
61 100 partly free -
Date of Election
June 6, 2021 -
Type of Election
Legislative -
Internet Penetration
67.14% -
Population
127.8 million
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Last Update
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Moldova
Country Facts
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Global Freedom Score
60 100 partly free -
Date of Election
November 1, 2020 -
Type of Election
Presidential -
Internet Penetration
73.56% -
Population
3.5 million
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Last Update
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Myanmar
Country Facts
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Global Freedom Score
30 100 not free -
Internet Freedom Score
31 100 not free -
Date of Election
November 8, 2020 -
Type of Election
General -
Internet Penetration
34.84% -
Population
54.0 million
Incident AlertBurmese election officials said the vote would go ahead as scheduled, following a request from the USDP to postpone it due a spike in COVID-19 cases. The rise in cases draws attention to the logistical challenges the pandemic poses for sound election administration. Read more.
Incident AlertTwo political parties accused the UEC of censoring their campaign speeches before being broadcast on state TV and radio. The UEC allegedly removed politically sensitive topics related to ethnicity, socioeconomic issues, and government policy. Read more.
Incident AlertThe government deemed journalism a “nonessential business,” meaning journalists are subject to COVID-19 movement restrictions in many parts of the country, including Yangon. This restriction potentially limits journalists’ ability to report on developments during the electoral period. Read more.
New ReportFreedom House released the new edition of Freedom on the Net, which found that internet freedom in Myanmar declined dramatically as the government ramped up censorship ahead of the elections. Read the Myanmar report.
Incident AlertA study released by Burma Human Rights Network reported 39 cases of hate speech and disinformation, some of which were shared over 2,000 times on various social media platforms, ahead of the elections. Anti-Muslim hate speech and disinformation featured prominently in these posts. Read more.
Incident AlertMyanmar’s government allegedly issued a directive to extend the mobile internet service restrictions in Rakhine and Chin states until the end of the year. The restriction was originally set to end on October 31st. Read more.
Incident AlertThe Union Election Commission removed the Union Democratic Party from the list of registered political parties due to alleged violation of party registration laws, preventing any of the party’s candidates from contesting the election. Read more.
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Last Update
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Peru
Country Facts
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Global Freedom Score
72 100 free -
Date of Election
April 11, 2021 -
Type of Election
General -
Internet Penetration
62.29% -
Population
32. 8 million
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Last Update
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Uganda
Country Facts
-
Global Freedom Score
34 100 not free -
Internet Freedom Score
56 100 partly free -
Date of Election
January 14, 2021 -
Type of Election
General -
Internet Penetration
32.85% -
Population
44.3 million
Incident AlertThe UCC is moving forward with enforcing a regulation that requires “online data communication and broadcasting services” to register with commission. A UCC spokesperson said sites that fail to meet the October 5 registration deadline will be blocked. Read more.
New ReportFreedom House released the new edition of Freedom on the Net, which found that President Museveni’s government continues to tighten its grasp on internet users in Uganda through financial and regulatory constraints, as well as by prosecuting voices of dissent. Read the Uganda report.
Incident AlertOpposition candidate Muhammed Ssegirinya was arrested while livestreaming outside of the police station where Bobi Wine was detained, and was charged with “inciting violence.” Ssegirinya’s lawyer said that the charges are for filming evidence of police violence during Bobi Wine’s arrest.” Read more.
Incident AlertFour presidential candidates suspended their campaigns in protest of the arrest of two other candidates, Bobi Wine and Patrick Amuriat. Read more.
Incident AlertAnonymous reportedly hacked the Uganda Police Force website and took it offline in response to the violent police crackdown on protesters. Read more.
Incident AlertNumerous false and misleading claims about opposition candidate Bobi Wine have circulated on social media, including posts claiming that he has died, that President Barack Obama and President-elect Joe Biden have demanded his release, and that President Donald Trump has endorsed his candidacy.
Incident AlertBobi Wine indefinitely suspended his presidential campaign after an attack on his car. The decision follows a recent increase in repression and violence against his supporters. Read more.
Incident AlertBobi Wine resumed his presidential campaign after suspending it in protest of violent repression of his supporters. Read more.
Incident AlertThe Media Council of Uganda revoked the accreditation of all foreign journalists, requiring them to re-register within seven days. Source.
Incident AlertThe Financial Intelligence Authority ordered a freeze on the bank accounts of multiple non-governmental organizations involved in good governance work over alleged terrorist financing. Sources report the move may be politically motivated. Source.
Incident AlertThe Facebook page for Ghetto TV, a pro-Bobi Wine online channel known for live-streaming his campaign activities, was reportedly hacked and deleted. The account was previously hacked in August. Source.
Incident AlertGoogle rejected a request from the Uganda Communications Commission to remove over a dozen YouTube channels whose content is seen as sympathetic to opposition candidate Bobi Wine. Source.
Incident AlertThe Media Council of Uganda announced that local and foreign journalists must reapply for accreditation in order to cover the elections. Failure to register by the December 30 deadline could result in criminal charges. Source.
Incident AlertOpposition presidential candidate Bobi Wine was arrested for allegedly violating a coronavirus campaign ban. However, the restrictions did not apply to the location where Wine was campaigning, suggesting that the arrest was politically motivated. Source.
Incident AlertBBS TV journalist, Culton Scovia Nakamya, was arrested on December 30th alongside Bobi Wine and his campaign team. Nakamya later confirmed that police said she incited violence by posting updates about Bobi Wine’s arrest on social media. Source.
Incident AlertOn December 26, 2020, the Electoral Commission issued a statement prohibiting campaigning in Kampala and numerous other districts and cities due to rising COVID-19 infection rates. Analysts and opposition parties argue that the ban is intended to obstruct the opposition.
Incident AlertPresidential candidate Patrick Amuriat was arrested and detained on alleged traffic charges. The Daily Monitor reports that it was his ninth arrest since the Forum for Democratic Change nominated him as their candidate. Source.
Incident AlertFacebook removed a network of inauthentic accounts that was manipulating online discourse ahead of the election. The network was linked to the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, and several government officials’ accounts were removed, as were those of other progovernment figures. Source.
Incident AlertInternet connectivity was disrupted nationwide as of 7 p.m. on the night before the election. Source.
Press ReleaseSuspension of Democratic Governance Facility Highlights Growing Concerns: President Yoweri Museveni's order to suspend the initiative comes as opposition parties bring allegations of electoral fraud to the Supreme Court. Read the full statement.
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Last Update
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United States
Country Facts
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Global Freedom Score
86 100 free -
Internet Freedom Score
76 100 free -
Date of Election
November 3, 2020 -
Type of Election
General -
Internet Penetration
91.13% -
Population
329.2 million
Incident AlertFacebook announced new measures, including a ban on political and issue-based advertising after voting ends on November 3, in an attempt to address false and manipulative narratives that may arise in the post-election period. Read more.
Incident AlertFacebook expanded its efforts to limit QAnon on its platforms. QAnon has spread on Facebook despite an earlier ban on QAnon groups that called for violence. Read more.
Incident AlertThe FBI disrupted a plot by a militia to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and overthrow the government. According to the affidavit, the FBI initially became aware of the plot when individuals were discussing it in a social media group earlier in the year. Read more.
Incident AlertIn an effort to address misinformation ahead of the election, Twitter announced that it would adjust certain features on the platform, including the retweet option and what tweets appear on users’ timelines. Read more.
New ReportFreedom House released the new edition of Freedom on the Net. Although the online environment in the United States remains largely free from state censorship, the US declined for the fourth straight year in our report. Read the United States report.
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Last Update
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Venezuela
Country Facts
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Global Freedom Score
16 100 not free -
Internet Freedom Score
28 100 not free -
Date of Election
December 6, 2020 -
Type of Election
Parliamentary -
Internet Penetration
66% -
Population
28.5 million
New ReportIn the new edition of Freedom on the Net, internet freedom in Venezuela suffered as internet connectivity was frequently disrupted, service providers blocked key sources of independent news and information, and independent online journalists increasingly self-censored. Read the Venezuela report.
Incident AlertGovernment-owned ISP CANTV blocked 30 websites between October 11 and October 16, including media outlets, sites containing information on COVID-19 offered by the interim government, opposition websites, and streaming platforms. Read more.
Incident AlertThe National Electoral Council published new campaign regulations less than a week before the official start of the campaign period. Last minute changes to campaign rules often create confusion and can place opposition candidates at a disadvantage. Read the regulations.
Incident AlertA sustained homophobic smear campaign against Roland Carreño, a journalist and the coordinator of Voluntad Popular, continued when pictures of him that were obtained without his consent were posted on Twitter. Read more.
Incident AlertOpposition leaders, human rights activists and relevant opposition digital influencers reposted a video taken in 2016, portraying it as having been taken in 2020. The video is of a meeting where attendees are instructed to vote alongside staff who will ensure they vote in the favor of the governing party. Read more.
Incident AlertInterim president Juan Guaidó and other opposition leaders will boycott the election on the basis that it will not be a free and fair contest. The opposition instead plans to hold its own referendum on Nicolás Maduro’s rule. Read more.
Incident AlertNicolás Maduro claimed victory in Venezuela’s election, which had low turnout and was boycotted by the opposition after a preelection period marred by political interference. Read more.
Incident AlertA fact-checking group found that some hashtags used during the election period, especially those promoted by the Ministry of Communication and Information, came from accounts with high rates of inauthentic behavior - sometimes as high as 79%. Read their thread.
Incident AlertOn election day, some voters reportedly found polling places to be closed or delayed in opening without warning. Unforeseen changes to voting centers’ schedules and functioning can directly disenfranchise voters.
Incident Alert-
Last Update
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Vietnam
Country Facts
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Global Freedom Score
20 100 not free -
Internet Freedom Score
22 100 not free -
Date of Election
May 23, 2021 -
Type of Election
Legislative -
Internet Penetration
66.54% -
Population
96.2 million
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Last Update
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Zambia
Country Facts
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Global Freedom Score
54 100 partly free -
Internet Freedom Score
59 100 partly free -
Date of Election
August 12, 2021 -
Type of Election
General -
Internet Penetration
26.79% -
Population
18.4 million
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Last Update
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Election Watch for the Digital Age is a new research initiative investigating the interplay between digital platforms and election integrity — and confirming that the internet can be used to disrupt democracies as surely as it can destabilize dictatorships.