Voter education

Sweden Defends its Elections Against Disinformation, 2016 – 2018

Author
Gordon LaForge
Focus Area(s)
Country of Reform
Abstract

The Russian state information influence attack against the 2016 US presidential election rattled authorities in Sweden. The Scandinavian country of 10 million was already a frequent target of Kremlin-sponsored disinformation. With a general election approaching in September 2018 and public apprehension about a possible influence attack high, officials at the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency began preparing measures to defend the credibility of the country’s electoral process. Rather than attempt to halt the creation and spread of disinformation, the agency aimed to build the resilience of institutions and society overall to withstand information influence activities. The agency trained thousands of civil servants, built and strengthened interagency coordination structures, coordinated with traditional and social media, raised public awareness, and monitored the digital information landscape. Despite a cyberattack on the Swedish Election Authority website that fanned claims of fraud and generated a flood of homegrown political disinformation, the election ran smoothly and the government doubled down on the resilience-building approach for protecting the 2022 election.

Gordon LaForge drafted this case study based on interviews conducted in October and November 2020. Case published December 2020. The Princeton University Liechtenstein Institute for Self-Determination supported the development of this case study.

 

 

Defending the Vote: Estonia Creates a Network to Combat Disinformation, 2016–2020

Author
Tyler McBrien
Focus Area(s)
Country of Reform
Abstract

Troubled by reports of disinformation and fake news in the United States and with regard to the United Kingdom’s Brexit referendum vote, Estonia’s State Electoral Office in 2016 created an interagency task force to combat the influence of false messaging on its democratic process. To guide its work, the small staff of the State Electoral Office adopted a network approach by engaging partners from other government agencies, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, social media companies, and the press to identify and monitor disinformation and to work with the press to correct false statements. It also developed a curriculum that would help high school students improve their ability to separate fact from fiction. The collaboration largely succeeded in checking foreign interference. However, considerations involving free speech and censorship hobbled the task force’s efforts to restrain disinformation spread by domestic political parties and their supporters. This case illuminates how an electoral management body with limited staff capacity and a restricted mandate addressed a societywide disinformation challenge.

 

Tyler McBrien drafted this case study based on interviews conducted in September and October 2020. Case published December 2020.

Preparing to Draft a New Social Contract: Tunisia's National Constituent Assembly Election, 2011

Author
Daniel Tavana
Focus Area(s)
Country of Reform
Abstract

Tunisia’s Independent High Authority for Elections faced a formidable task in May 2011. The newly created commission had five months to organize and implement elections for a National Constituent Assembly that would rewrite the Tunisian constitution. Commissioners moved quickly to build capacity and restore public faith in elections. The commission navigated the pressures of a compressed electoral calendar, an agitated electorate, and skepticism of the transitional government. The story of the group’s efforts to manage a successful election offers insight into how an electoral commission can take advantage of relationships with political parties, government, and the public to overcome inexperience in volatile circumstances. This case study focuses on commission staffing and recruitment, the creation of regional subsidiary bodies, and voter registration.

Johann Kriegler

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Focus Area(s)
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4
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Amy Mawson
Name
Johann Kriegler
Interviewee's Position
Chairman
Interviewee's Organization
South Africa Independent Electoral Commission, 1994
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
South African
Town/City
Johannesburg
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

Johann Kriegler traces the fascinating story of South Africa’s post-apartheid election, the country’s first fully inclusive democratic poll. As head of the newly formed Independent Electoral Commission in 1994, Kriegler was at the heart of the process. He details the challenges the commission faced in the early months of 1994. Chief among these were a tight timeframe, the absence of a voters roll, the high level of mistrust that permeated South African politics at the time, and the weight of public expectation. Kriegler outlines how the commission tackled these challenges, and he highlights several innovative approaches along the way. He describes the vital roles played by the commission’s monitoring directorate, the party liaison committees, and Operation Access, a program that helped parties campaign in areas that were otherwise out of reach. He explains how key players were brought into the electoral process, often at the last minute, and stresses the important role that determined political will played in the ultimate success of the elections.   

Case Study:  Organizing the First Post-Apartheid Election, South Africa, 1994

Profile

Johann Kriegler was chairman of South Africa’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in 1994. Before he was appointed to the IEC, Kriegler was an Appeals Court judge. After 1994, he worked as an adviser in various sensitive electoral processes around the world. He chaired the commission investigating the violence that erupted following the Kenyan elections of 2007, and he served on Afghanistan’s U.N.-backed Electoral Complaints Commission in 2010. 

Full Audio File Size
82MB
Full Audio Title
Johann Kriegler Interview

Howard Sackstein

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Focus Area(s)
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8
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Amy Mawson
Name
Howard Sackstein
Interviewee's Position
Coordinator, Investigations Unit: Gauteng Office, 1994 Elections
Interviewee's Organization
Independent Electoral Commission, South Africa
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
South African
Place (Building/Street)
Salcom Voice Services
Town/City
Johannesburg
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract
Howard Sackstein discusses the work of the Independent Electoral Commission’s Investigations Unit in 1994.  He outlines some of the challenges that the electoral commission faced that year, including a very limited timeframe, the logistical challenges of running elections in a largely rural country and the high levels of distrust and suspicion that permeated South Africa’s transition to democracy.  He also charts the many innovative aspects of the election, such as an electoral code of conduct that included serious sanctions, an effective voter education campaign, the use of professional mediators to settle local disputes and the establishment of party liaison committees.  He outlines some of the ingenious responses that individual poll workers displayed in the face of serious challenges.  He discusses the lessons the commission learned from 1994 and how commission staff drew from these lessons while preparing for the 1999 elections. 
 
Profile

South Africa's Independent Electoral Commission initially hired Howard Sackstein in February 1994 to investigate breaches of the electoral code of conduct in Mpumalanga.  Within a few weeks of joining the organization, he was promoted to coordinate the Gauteng office of the commission’s Investigations Unit, where he oversaw 36 lawyers.  After the 1994 elections, Sackstein was one of two people retained to shut down the operations of the temporary Independent Electoral Commission, before the creation of the permanent Independent Electoral Commission.  He played a key role in the 1999 elections.  In early 2010 he was running his own technology firm, Saicom Voice Services.

Full Audio File Size
144MB
Full Audio Title
Howard Sackstein Interview

Shukri Ismail

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Focus Area(s)
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14
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Richard Bennet and Michael Woldemariam
Name
Shukri Ismail
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Somali
Town/City
Hargeisa, Somaliland
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

Shukri Ismail discusses the formation and work of Somaliland’s first national election commission. She explains the difficulties the commission faced organizing Somaliland’s first elections, which included a difficult voter registration process, setting the election timetable and dealing with weak and newly formed state institutions and untested election law. Ismail also discusses the difficulties with political party formation, hiring and training election staff and the potential for violence when the commission ultimately determined the presidential election had been won by 80 votes. She also touches on working with international consultants, the electoral commission’s relationship with the media, the role of the clan in Somaliland’s elections, the lessons learned from Somaliland’s first elections and the challenges still ahead.

Case Study:  Nurturing Democracy in the Horn of Africa: Somaliland's First Elections, 2002-2005

Profile

At the time of this interview Shukri Ismail was the founder and director of Candle Light, a health, education, and environment non-profit based in Somaliland. She was the only female national election commissioner with Somaliland’s first National Election Commission.

Full Audio File Size
91.5 MB
Full Audio Title
Shukri Ismail Interview

Amon E. Chaligha

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Focus Area(s)
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4
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Varanya Chaubey
Name
Amon E. Chaligha
Interviewee's Position
Commissioner
Interviewee's Organization
National Electoral Commission
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Tanzanian
Town/City
Dar es Salaam
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

Professor Chaligha discusses the management of elections by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) in mainland Tanzania and the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) in Zanzibar. The NEC is responsible for registering voters, demarcating constituencies, and conducting voter education. The relationship between the NEC and ZEC is complex in that some Zanzibar residents, who have spent less than three years in Zanzibar, are registered for mainland Tanzania’s elections. Chaligha mentions NEC’s efforts to maintain transparency on election day. For example, all candidates are allowed to place an election monitor at the polling station during voting. Following Tanzania’s constitution, leaders of political parties – including members of Parliament, councilors and ministers – are not permitted to serve on the NEC. In contrast to the NEC, the ZEC does permit political party members on the commission. A major hindrance to the NEC is its reliance on the government for funding. Chaligha proposes an election fund that the commission could call on only for elections.     

Profile

Amon Chaligha first began monitoring elections at the University of Dar es Salaam for the Department of Political Science and Department of Public Administration. The University had been involved in monitoring elections since its founding in the 1960s. At the time of the interview, Chaligha was an associate professor at the university, where he taught local government and administration and human resource management. Following his experience in monitoring elections, he was asked to join the National Electoral Commission of Tanzania as a commissioner. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full Audio File Size
60 MB
Full Audio Title
Chaligha - Full Interview

Muhammad Sakhawat Hussain

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Focus Area(s)
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2
Critical Tasks
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Varanya Chaubey
Name
Muhammad Sakhawat Hussain
Interviewee's Position
Commissioner
Interviewee's Organization
Bangladesh Election Committee
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Bangladesh
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

Brigadier General Muhammad Sakhawat Hussain discusses the role of the Bangladesh Election Commission and its initiatives for legal, administrative and political reform. He details the Commission’s efforts to promote political party accountability. He focuses on the specifics of achieving financial transparency and more democratization within parties. He discusses the challenges faced by the Commission—particularly the skeptical attitude held by most denizens—and the ways in which they attempted to deal with them. He explains initiatives taken on by the Commission, such as the creation of a comprehensive voter list that includes photographs. He also talks about the addition of a no-vote option, which allows voters to declare that they do not wish to vote for anyone on the ballot.   

Profile

At the time of this interview Brigadier General Muhammad Sakhawat Hussain was one of three commissioners who constituted the Bangladesh Election Commission. Prior to the commission, he served in various positions in the Bangladesh Army, including both staff and command as Brigadier General. He also served as director of Sonali Bank, Bangladesh’s largest commercial bank, for two years. After retiring, he established himself as an individual researcher, writing both columns and books. His focus has been on national security and defense.

Full Audio File Size
101 MB
Full Audio Title
Muhammad Hussain Interview

Senesee Geso Freeman

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Focus Area(s)
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5
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Nealin Parker
Name
Senesee Geso Freeman
Interviewee's Position
Program Officer
Interviewee's Organization
IFES
Language
English
Town/City
Monrovia
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract
In this interview, Senesee Freeman discusses the role that the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) played in the 2005 Liberian Elections. IFES supported the National Elections Commission (NEC) of Liberia in rewriting portions of the country’s electoral laws, determining the budget for the elections, registering voters and demarcating voting districts. IFES aimed to increase civic participation of traditionally marginalized populations, such as women and the disabled, by tailoring messages and educational materials for these specific groups and using members of these groups to disseminate them. Freeman emphasizes the importance of tailoring educational materials in all scenarios; materials should be translated to local dialects or languages and elicit the involvement of respected locals, particularly those in prominent positions like town criers. IFES aimed not only to encourage increased participation through these means, but also to encourage individuals to vote according to their consciences rather than succumb to the temptation of voting for candidates who aim to buy votes by providing individuals with material incentives. Freeman also points out that the timing of the elections, at the peak of the rainy season, introduces a number of logistical issues. He concludes by suggesting that resources be constantly and incrementally set aside for the purpose of elections, rather than the country relying on massive international support directly before an election. 
 
Profile

 At the time of this interview, Senesee Freeman was a Program Officer for the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) in Liberia. Freeman studied at the University of Liberia and proceeded to work in local Liberia-based development agencies, including the New African Research and Development Agency (NARDA), where he worked to facilitate the capacity building of local non-governmental organizations. He later worked with Synergies International; where he aimed to assist marginalized populations, including ex-combatants, reintegrate themselves into Liberian society.  

Full Audio File Size
77 MB
Full Audio Title
Senesee Freeman - Full Interview

Restoring Voters' Trust and Confidence: Albania's Central Election Commission, 2001-2006

Author
Michael Scharff
Country of Reform
Abstract

When he became head of Albania's Central Election Commission in February 2001, Ilirjan Celibashi faced a difficult task. Three years earlier a new constitution enshrined the commission as a non-political body charged with overseeing Albania's historically troubled elections. The permanent commission aimed to promote bipartisan cooperation and restore trust in the political system after violence gripped Albania's capital, Tirana, in the wake of 1996 national elections that the international community labeled as fraudulent.  During its first three years, the commission failed to achieve substantial reforms largely because of the partisan leadership of its chairman. When Celibashi, a former lawyer and judge, took over as head of the CEC, he had to overcome a highly politicized environment, and he set out to enact reforms to restore confidence in the commission and the electoral process. His reforms concentrated on four priority areas: staffing the CEC with competent people, ensuring transparency for the commission's activities, assembling voter lists and overseeing local election commissioners. In 2008, the political parties removed the commission from the constitution and reinstated it as a political body, erasing most of Celibashi's reforms. The case provides insight into how and why a window of opportunity opened for reform, explores how an individual was able to enact changes in a highly politicized environment and considers reasons why the changes were short-lived.   

Michael Scharff drafted this case study with the help of Amy Mawson on the basis of interviews conducted in Tirana, Albania, in June 2010. 

Associated Interview(s):  Petrit Gjokuta, Kathleen Imholz, Ylli Manjani