Mumbai, India, 2017: Unidentified people show ink-marked fingers after casting their votes in front of polling booth of the area. Editorial Credit: CRS PHOTO/Shutterstock.com.

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. Freedom House works with local groups to promote voter participation, particularly by youth, and to monitor elections.

Shortly before the decisive vote on the reform of copyright in the EU Parliament, thousands in Europe protested against the project. Opponents of the reform and especially of the controversial Article 13 had announced demonstrations in about 20 countries. Stuttgart, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. 23 March 2019. Editorial Credit: Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance via Getty Images)

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.

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