Election Integrity
Free and fair elections are a foundational component of political freedom. There is more to democracy than free and fair elections, but there can be no democracy without them. Constant vigilance is required to protect this foundational component of political freedom from the threats arrayed against it, which range from old-fashioned fraud on election day to media manipulation and regulatory obstacles during the campaign period.
There is more to democracy than free and fair elections, but there can be no democracy without them. Constant vigilance is required to protect this foundational component of political freedom from the threats arrayed against it, which range from old-fashioned fraud on election day to media manipulation and regulatory obstacles during the campaign period. Freedom House works with local groups to promote voter participation, particularly by youth, and to monitor elections.
NEW: Election Watch for the Digital Age
Freedom House is piloting a new research initiative to investigate the interplay between digital platforms and election integrity. Election Watch for the Digital Age equips technology companies, civil society organizations, and policymakers with a data-driven resource for evaluating the human rights impact of internet platforms on a country’s electoral process.
Digital Election Interference
Shaping the flow of information on the internet is now an essential strategy of those seeking to disrupt the democratic transfer of power through elections. Major authoritarian powers like Russia and China have been implicated in cyberattacks and information warfare linked to elections in democratic states. To learn more, read the Freedom on the Net 2019 essay on Digital Election Interference.
News & Perspectives:
New Freedom House Report Reveals Dire Conditions for Human Rights Defenders and Democracy Activists in Latin America
Press release
February 3, 2022
Nicaragua: Ortega Regime Should Hold Free and Fair Elections and Reopen Civic Space for All
Press release
November 8, 2021
Russian Elections Will Put the Kremlin’s Internet Controls to the Test
Perspectives
September 14, 2021
NEW REPORT: Attacks on Democracy Intensify as Autocracy Spreads in Europe and Eurasia
Press release
April 28, 2021
Freedom House in the Media:
Featured Experts
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