Electoral fraud

Political corruption
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Anti-corruption
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Electoral fraud, sometimes referred to as election manipulation, voter fraud, or vote rigging, involves illegal interference with the process of an election, either by increasing the vote share of a favored candidate, depressing the vote share of rival candidates, or both.[1] It differs from but often goes hand-in-hand with voter suppression. What exactly constitutes electoral fraud varies from country to country, though the goal is often election subversion.

Electoral legislation outlaws many kinds of election fraud,[2] but other practices violate general laws, such as those banning assault, harassment or libel. Although technically the term "electoral fraud" covers only those acts which are illegal, the term is sometimes used to describe acts which are legal, but considered morally unacceptable, outside the spirit of an election or in violation of the principles of democracy.[3][4] Show elections, featuring only one candidate, are sometimes classified[by whom?] as electoral fraud, although they may comply with the law and are presented more as referendums/plebiscites.

In national elections, successful electoral fraud on a sufficient scale can have the effect of a coup d'état,[citation needed] protest[5] or corruption of democracy. In a narrow election, a small amount of fraud may suffice to change the result. Even if the outcome is not affected, the revelation of fraud can reduce voters' confidence in democracy.

  1. ^ "The Myth of Voter Fraud". Brennan Center for Justice. Archived from the original on 27 September 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  2. ^ Jones, Douglas (7 October 2005). "Threats to Voting Systems". University of Iowa. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
    • also at Jones, Douglas (7 October 2005). "An Expanded Threat Taxonomy". National Institute of Standards and Technology. pp. 178–179. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  3. ^ Myagkov, Mikhail G.; Peter C. Ordeshook; Dimitri Shakin (2009). The Forensics of Election Fraud: Russia and Ukraine. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-76470-4.
  4. ^ Alvarez, Michael; Hall, Thad; Hyde, Susan (2008). Election Fraud: Detecting and Deterring Electoral Manipulation. Brookings Institution Press. ISBN 978-0-81-570138-5.
  5. ^ Brancati, Dawn (2016). Democracy Protests: Origins, Features, and Significance. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1107137738. [page needed]