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With nearly half of the world’s population voting this year, illiberal governments and authoritarian forces are ramping up their efforts to undermine the credibility of elections and overall faith in democracy. Recognizing the gravity of this moment, NDI partnered with Foreign Policy on an event, Safeguarding Global Elections in 2024, the third installment in NDI’s “Defending Democracy” series. The event provided an important venue to discuss the key pillars of election integrity, including the role of international and domestic election monitors, independent election commissions, process and results verification for transparency (PRVT) observation methodology and acceptance of the results. (Formerly known as PVT or Quick Count, the updated PRVT name accurately describes what it is: a methodology that independently verifies both election day processes and results to make elections more transparent for all stakeholders.)
Moderator Allison Carlson, Executive Vice President of Foreign Policy, opened the event by laying out the stakes in this critical year of global elections. She then welcomed Her Excellency Dr. Joyce Banda, Former President of Malawi, to discuss the trajectory of African democracies over the past several years and what concrete steps she sees that are necessary to bolster good governance and confidence in election outcomes. Former President Banda stressed that African democracy is a work in progress as Africans take steps to perfect their own systems and establish strong institutions. She pointed to investments in civic education as a crucial next step in securing African democracies for the future and making their governments more inclusive and representative. Critically, she emphasized the importance of the acceptance of election results, even when they are not what elected leaders are hoping for – including her own experience in stepping aside after an election loss – stressing that leaders must put commitment to democratic ideals above personal ambitions.
Former President Banda’s comments were then followed by a panel conversation featuring Julia Brothers, Senior Advisor for Elections at NDI, Nino Dolidze, Executive Director of the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) a leading citizen observer organization from the country of Georgia, and Luis Carlos Ugalde, Director General of Integralia Consultores and former head of Mexico’s election commission, which is considered the international gold standard for election commissions. Together, they provided valuable insights into the challenges to electoral integrity, broader trends surrounding the role of technology in elections, and efforts by political parties and malign actors to undermine confidence in election results.
Speaking from her experience working on elections in over twenty countries, Julia stressed that civil society operating on the local level plays the most important role in promoting credible elections, especially in closed and closing societies. She discussed the complicated role of social media and artificial intelligence in elections. While they can be used to undermine public confidence in elections and misinform the electorate, when used correctly, they can be important tools for reaching voters where they provide valuable information about elections and voting.
As the leader of one of the largest, oldest and most trusted civil society organizations in Georgia, Nino Dolidze shared details about how ISFED is preparing for Georgia’s upcoming parliamentary elections. In her comments, she focused on the importance of voter education and information in making elections more free and fair as anti-democratic candidates and forces seek to undermine the will of voters. The election process has become longer, and Nino discussed how organizations and observers monitoring elections must be constantly active, evaluating ongoing threats, including partisan or preferential access to election resources – before, during and after elections. At the same time, election day still matters and ISFED will be once again employing the PRVT methodology to provide systematic information on the conduct of voting and counting as well as independently verify the accuracy of the official election results.
Luis Carlos Ugalde reflected on the state of Mexican democracy and elections both as a former elections and government official, as well as in his current role as the founder and director of a leading consultancy in public affairs and political risk in Mexico. Ugalde noted that credible elections require independent election commissions. He shared his assessment that the upcoming Mexican presidential election is going to be very challenging. As organized criminal groups become increasingly involved in Mexican politics and elections, he fears that election observers will be unable to conduct crucial monitoring work without tremendous personal risks to their safety. He is also concerned about youth disaffection both in his home country and around the world. He sees it as incumbent on nongovernmental organizations and social media companies to work together to ensure that young people are exposed to messages about the value of democracy in their lives.
To close out the event, Ambassador Johnnie Carson, an NDI board member who served as Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs, provided an overview of the core components to ensure credible elections. He touched on a range of factors that will affect the integrity of elections in the coming year – from the importance of citizen participation, the critical role of citizen election observers and the value of international observers (particularly in amplifying the voices of citizen observers), to the roles played by the media and the courts. He underscored the value of democracies establishing and fully resourcing independent election commissions that plan and administer elections and publicize information to voters without partisan influence. Ambassador Carson concluded by answering an audience question about NDI’s work in Africa, declaring that African women and youth will lead the way in democracy in the years to come.
With the world’s attention focused on the importance of this year’s elections, people who serve on election commissions, who volunteer as election observers, and who advocate for pro-democracy reforms have been working tirelessly to make upcoming elections as fair, transparent and credible as possible. The event celebrated the work of the individuals and organizations committed to more inclusive, transparent and accountable elections, which are one of the most critical components in successful democracies. As anti-democratic forces seek to undermine election confidence, those who have dedicated their time and careers to promoting election integrity are one of the most essential ingredients in maintaining confidence in election results.
Other NDI/Foreign Policy events on defending democracy include:
Defending Democracy: How Young Changemakers are Demanding Progress
Defending Democracy: Most Effective Ways to Counter Corruption
Defending Democracy: Reversing the Rollback on Women’s Rights
Defending Democracy: How Political Parties Advance Democracy
Defending Democracy: National Security and the Environment
Author: Alanna Margulies, Project Assistant for the Government Relations team
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NDI is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental organization that works in partnership around the world to strengthen and safeguard democratic institutions, processes, norms and values to secure a better quality of life for all. NDI envisions a world where democracy and freedom prevail, with dignity for all.
