Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Disputed election

A disputed election is an electoral process in which the announced results are formally challenged by candidates, , voters, or international observers, typically alleging irregularities such as , manipulation of vote counts, procedural violations, or disenfranchisement that compromise the outcome's validity. These challenges often manifest as legal petitions to courts or electoral bodies, public protests, boycotts of subsequent rounds, or demands for recounts and audits, potentially eroding public trust in democratic institutions if unresolved. Disputes commonly emerge in high-stakes contests with narrow victory margins, where institutional weaknesses—like inadequate mechanisms or administration of polls—amplify grievances, though empirical analyses reveal that loser frequently inflates fraud perceptions absent concrete evidence. Verifiable misconduct, including ballot stuffing or coerced voting, has driven historical cases, as documented in nineteenth-century where correlated with incomplete democratization and weak oversight. In presidential systems, such conflicts can escalate to constitutional crises, resolved via judicial intervention or commissions, exemplified by the 1876 election where competing electoral slates from southern states prompted a bipartisan to award the presidency amid allegations of suppression and miscounts. The consequences of unresolved disputes include prolonged , diminished legitimacy of the winner, and incentives for future , underscoring the causal role of transparent , adjudication, and preemptive safeguards in sustaining electoral . While some disputes reflect strategic posturing by defeated parties, others highlight systemic vulnerabilities exposed by empirical irregularities, influencing transitions to or depending on institutional resilience.

Conceptual Foundations

Definition and Scope

A disputed election is an electoral process in which the validity of the results or the integrity of the procedures is formally challenged by candidates, , voters, or observers, typically alleging specific breaches of electoral laws, administrative errors, manipulation, or biases that could have materially influenced the outcome. These challenges arise within the broader framework of electoral systems, which encompass mechanisms for adjudicating complaints through administrative reviews, judicial proceedings, or methods designed to verify compliance with established rules. Unlike uncontested acceptances of results, disputes hinge on verifiable of deviations from legal standards, though the for substantiation varies by and often requires empirical demonstration of impact on vote tallies or eligibility. The scope of disputed elections extends across all phases of the electoral cycle—preparatory (e.g., and candidacy), polling day operations, and post- (e.g., recounts or certification contests)—and applies to contests at , regional, or local levels in both democratic and regimes. In democratic contexts, such disputes are an expected byproduct of competitive , where losers may contest outcomes to ensure , provided mechanisms maintain procedural fairness and to preserve institutional legitimacy. However, the phenomenon is not confined to free ; in authoritarian settings, disputes may manifest as suppressed challenges or international condemnations when domestic processes lack credible safeguards, potentially escalating to protests or diplomatic isolation. Empirically, data from global election monitors indicate that while most disputes are resolved without altering certified results, persistent or evidence-based contests have historically prompted reforms, such as enhanced auditing protocols, in systems prioritizing .

Distinction from Fraudulent or Uncontested Elections

A disputed involves formal challenges to the electoral process or results through legal, administrative, or political channels, typically alleging procedural irregularities, counting errors, or access issues without evidence of intentional, outcome-altering illegality sufficient to nullify the vote. Such disputes often arise in competitive democratic systems where losers invoke predefined resolution mechanisms, like courts or election commissions, to seek recounts, audits, or clarifications, preserving the system's integrity if resolved transparently. In contrast, a fraudulent election entails proven criminal acts, such as ballot stuffing, voter impersonation, or systematic tampering by officials, that demonstrably skew results beyond marginal errors, often leading to or rerun mandates by authorities. The key demarcation from lies in evidentiary thresholds: disputes may highlight verifiable anomalies—like mismatched signatures or delayed reporting—that prompt but rarely escalate to criminal convictions unless intent and scale are substantiated, as seen in rare cases where isolated occurs without systemic impact. For instance, post-election audits in many jurisdictions distinguish remediable errors from deliberate deceit, with the former sustaining the election's validity. , however, requires causal links to outcome changes, such as coerced votes or fabricated tallies, often uncovered via forensic analysis or whistleblowers, distinguishing it from mere contention over interpretation. Uncontested elections, by , feature no viable opposition or challenges, resulting in automatic declaration of unopposed candidates without casting or verification needs, common in low-competition locales or where incumbents dominate. This contrasts sharply with disputed cases, where active contestation—via petitions or protests—signals perceived stakes or flaws, even if ultimately dismissed, reflecting democratic rather than acquiescence. Uncontested outcomes evade altogether, whereas disputes test institutional , often concluding with upheld results absent proofs.

Causes and Precipitating Factors

Allegations of Voter and

Allegations of voter and constitute a primary catalyst for disputes, encompassing illegal actions intended to alter vote outcomes through direct with ballots, voter eligibility, or tabulation processes. Common forms include ballot stuffing, where extra votes are inserted into urns; impersonation, in which individuals vote as others; and falsification of results by election officials. These practices undermine causal chains of legitimate by decoupling recorded tallies from actual voter intent, often substantiated in post-election probes via accounts, statistical anomalies, or forensic audits. In authoritarian-leaning contexts, manipulation frequently involves centralized control over vote counts. During Belarus's August 2020 , poll workers reported observing or being coerced into ballot stuffing and inflating tallies for incumbent , with protocols altered to discard opposition votes and fabricate protocols showing improbable turnout spikes. Independent analyses corroborated discrepancies, such as precincts reporting over 100% turnout for the regime candidate. Similarly, Venezuela's July 2024 presidential contest drew accusations of systematic result tampering, with opposition data from 80% of tally sheets indicating candidate Edmundo González Urrutia secured approximately 67% of votes against Nicolás Maduro's 30%, contrasted by official figures reversing this margin; forensic reviews and leaked documents pointed to algorithmic alterations and withheld precinct data. In established democracies, such allegations typically involve decentralized irregularities rather than wholesale , though they persist due to expanded mail and registration challenges. Fraudulent absentee ballots rank prominent, as seen in U.S. cases where operatives collected and submitted ballots from ineligible or unwitting individuals; the Heritage Foundation's database logs 1,513 convictions for election fraud from 1982 to 2024, including 548 absentee-related offenses like forging signatures or coercing . Duplicate and ineligible participation, such as non-citizens or deceased registrants casting ballots, also feature, with empirical tracking revealing isolated but prosecutable instances across states. Investigations into high-profile claims, such as those post-2020 U.S. election, yielded limited convictions—fewer than 500 potential cases across battleground states—but highlighted vulnerabilities in verification absent rigorous ID checks. Electronic systems invite claims of or software glitches inverting , though verifiable breaches remain scarce without insider access. Historical precedents, like 19th-century U.S. urban machines employing repeat and , demonstrate fraud's feasibility in low-oversight environments, yielding thousands of illicit votes per cycle in cities like . Contemporary critiques, including from left-leaning outlets, acknowledge rare but real risks while disputing scale, attributing persistence of allegations to partisan distrust rather than empirical prevalence exceeding 0.0001% of ballots in audited U.S. contests. Such allegations, when evidenced by affidavits, turnout anomalies, or confessions, trigger disputes by eroding trust in institutional safeguards; however, unsubstantiated ones risk amplifying without causal impact on outcomes in fraud-resilient systems. Source credibility varies, with regime-aligned reports often inflating legitimacy and opposition data requiring cross-verification against raw tallies.

Procedural and Technical Irregularities

Procedural irregularities refer to lapses in adherence to established election protocols, such as improper ballot storage, inadequate verification of voter eligibility during check-in, or errors in absentee ballot processing, which can undermine confidence in results even absent intentional misconduct. These issues often arise from human error or resource constraints, leading to disputes when outcomes are close. For example, failures in polling place management, including insufficient staffing or unclear instructions to voters, have contributed to higher rates of undervotes or overvotes in past elections. Technical irregularities involve flaws in voting equipment, such as outdated machines prone to mechanical failures or software vulnerabilities that affect vote recording. In the 2012 U.S. general election, faulty direct-recording electronic (DRE) systems and optical scan machines caused extended wait times and voter disenfranchisement in multiple states, exacerbating perceptions of systemic unreliability. Chain-of-custody breaches represent a critical procedural vulnerability, where ballots or equipment are not continuously documented during transport, storage, or counting, potentially allowing unauthorized access or tampering allegations. Election Assistance Commission guidelines stress the need for dual-person oversight and serialized logs to mitigate this, yet lapses have fueled post-election challenges; for instance, incomplete documentation in ballot transfer has prompted audits in various jurisdictions to verify integrity. Technical issues in electronic systems, including vote-flipping incidents reported in 2016 and 2018 U.S. midterm elections, were often traced to touchscreen calibration errors or user interface glitches rather than hacking, though they triggered widespread distrust and calls for paper backups. Studies on ballot design further highlight how complex layouts, as in early optical scan systems, increase residual vote errors—ballots rejected or not fully counted—by up to 2-4% in some contests, correlating with disputed tallies. Efforts to address these irregularities emphasize auditable paper trails and regular equipment certification, as vulnerabilities in "back-end" election management software for and tabulation can propagate errors across precincts. The Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine note that while procedural safeguards like bipartisan oversight reduce risks, technical dependencies on aging infrastructure—such as machines over a decade old in many U.S. counties—persist as flashpoints for disputes, necessitating upgrades to prevent verifiable miscounts. In cases like the 2000 U.S. presidential election, punch-card machine ambiguities (e.g., hanging chads) exemplified how technical design flaws intersect with procedural interpretation, leading to manual recounts and intervention.

Political, Media, and Societal Influences

heightens the risk of election disputes by fostering , where voters and parties interpret outcomes through ideological lenses rather than . Studies show that unexpected election results, particularly losses for ideologically committed groups, prompt heightened perceptions of , as seen in analyses of U.S. elections where attachment correlated with rejection of results despite procedural validations. In environments of intense rivalry, incumbent or opposition actors may preemptively undermine electoral legitimacy to retain or seize power, with empirical models indicating that competitive pressures paradoxically incentivize allegations even absent verifiable manipulation. Media ecosystems exacerbate disputes through selective framing and echo chambers that amplify partisan narratives over balanced reporting. Polarized outlets, such as those diverging sharply in coverage of U.S. elections since the 1990s, cultivate distrust by prioritizing audience-aligned interpretations, leading to divergent public assessments of electoral fairness; for instance, Republican trust in mainstream media dropped from 68% in 1990 to 14% by 2020, correlating with amplified fraud claims. Social media platforms intensify this by algorithmically promoting divisive content, including unverified voter fraud theories, which spread via negativity bias and reduce cross-partisan consensus on results. Empirical experiments confirm that biased media exposure shifts voter turnout and preferences without altering underlying ideologies, directly precipitating post-election challenges. Societal factors, including eroded institutional trust and cultural fragmentation, provide fertile ground for disputes by lowering thresholds for accepting alternative explanations of electoral processes. In divided societies, low civic cohesion correlates with widespread endorsement of narratives, as evidenced by the rapid dissemination of 2020 U.S. voter fraud claims on platforms where networks reinforced disbelief in certified tallies. Demographic shifts and socioeconomic grievances further precipitate controversies, with research linking economic dissatisfaction and identity-based cleavages to heightened skepticism of outcomes, independent of actual irregularities. These dynamics often interact; for example, the fragmentation of information sources since the 1987 repeal of the U.S. enabled media proliferation, deepening societal rifts and normalizing preemptive legitimacy attacks.

Types and Stages of Disputes

Pre-Election Challenges

Pre-election challenges in disputed elections typically involve legal, administrative, or political contests over the foundational elements of the electoral process, occurring before ballots are cast. These disputes often focus on ensuring adherence to constitutional and statutory requirements or contesting rules deemed to disadvantage particular or . According to electoral observation standards, such challenges arise during phases like and registration, voter list compilation, and the approval of regulations, potentially delaying preparations or altering frameworks if resolved in favor of challengers. A primary category includes challenges to candidate eligibility and procedures. For instance, requirements for signatures, residency, or disqualification criteria—such as criminal convictions or loyalty oaths—can prompt litigation when parties allege arbitrary denials or overly restrictive standards. , challenges to former President Donald Trump's eligibility under the 14th Amendment's insurrection clause were filed in multiple states ahead of the 2024 election, with the U.S. ultimately ruling on March 4, 2024, that states lacked authority to enforce such disqualifications for federal offices, thereby preserving his . Internationally, similar disputes have surfaced in parliamentary elections, where administrative bodies review nominations, leading to appeals that test the impartiality of electoral commissions. Voter registration and eligibility disputes form another key area, often centering on purges of rolls, verification methods, or access to registration drives. State laws in the U.S. permit challenges to voter qualifications, such as non-citizenship or disenfranchisement, with processes varying by to balance integrity against suppression risks; nearly all states allow pre-election reviews to affirm eligibility, though mass challenges have surged in recent cycles, targeting thousands of registrations based on criteria like infrequent or address changes. Critics argue some mass efforts, as seen in 2022 challenges affecting over 10,000 voters, impose undue burdens on election officials and may deter participation without proportional evidence of ineligibility. Conversely, proponents cite empirical needs to prevent non-resident or duplicate , supported by from states like , where pre-election purges removed over 150,000 inactive voters in 2024 to maintain accurate lists. Procedural and technical challenges target rules on methods, ballot design, or polling logistics. In the lead-up to the 2024 U.S. election, over 200 lawsuits addressed issues like drop box availability, deadlines, and voter ID mandates, reflecting partisan divides where Democrats often sought expansions for and Republicans emphasized security measures. Such preemptive litigation can reshape outcomes by securing injunctions; for example, federal courts in 2020-2024 cycles struck down or upheld extensions to periods based on equal protection claims. In multiparty systems abroad, disputes over media access or allocations pre-election have escalated tensions, as documented in OSCE-monitored polls where unresolved complaints eroded trust before voting commenced. Effective relies on swift judicial or administrative to avoid spillover into intra-election chaos, though delays can fuel narratives of .

Intra-Election Contentions

Intra-election contentions encompass disputes that emerge during the active conduct of and initial tabulation, distinct from pre-election preparations or post-certification challenges. These typically involve real-time irregularities at polling stations or during preliminary counting, such as procedural violations, voter access issues, or alleged manipulations that threaten the of the ongoing process. Prompt resolution is critical to prevent escalation, often handled initially by election administrators with appeals to judicial or specialized bodies, emphasizing timeliness within hours or days to avoid disrupting the vote. Common forms include voter identification and registration discrepancies, where voters are denied access due to missing names on lists or verification failures, potentially disenfranchising eligible participants. Procedural breaches at polling stations, such as unauthorized closures, inadequate , or failures in handling, also arise, leading to claims of unequal access or rushed processes that induce errors. Voter intimidation or by party agents or crowds, including threats or physical interference, represents a severe contention, undermining free choice and often requiring immediate intervention. Additionally, early tabulation disputes involve lapses, like restricted observer access or unverified alterations to tally sheets, which can fuel suspicions of stuffing or tampering before full results are compiled. Historical examples illustrate these dynamics. In Georgia's 2008 parliamentary election, last-minute ballot instruction changes caused widespread voter confusion and chaos at polls, prompting immediate complaints over procedural fairness. Liberia's 2005 elections saw voting irregularities, including coercion allegations, filed with the National Elections Commission within five days, highlighting the need for rapid administrative review. Romania's 2004 contest featured disputes over unapproved corrections to counting protocols, while Nicaragua's 2006 vote involved claims of altered tally sheets and observer exclusions during initial aggregation. Such cases underscore causal factors like poor training or partisan pressures, where from protocols or witness accounts determines validity, rather than unsubstantiated assertions. Resolution mechanisms prioritize alternative dispute approaches like for speed, alongside formal , with remedies ranging from on-site corrections to localized re-votes if irregularities demonstrably impact outcomes. Deadlines are stringent—often 3-5 days for appeals—to align with timelines, ensuring decisions are evidence-based and publicly transparent to maintain legitimacy. Failure to address these promptly can amplify post-election distrust, as unresolved intra-phase issues compound into broader challenges.

Post-Election Contests

Post-election contests refer to formal challenges lodged after the initial tallying and of votes, typically by losing candidates, , or groups of voters, alleging that irregularities, , or legal violations sufficiently impacted the outcome to warrant . These disputes focus on overturning or modifying certified results rather than altering the process itself, and they are governed by statutory deadlines, often ranging from a few days to weeks post-certification, to ensure timely resolution before seating officials or finalizing mandates. In most democratic systems, such contests proceed through administrative bodies, courts, or specialized electoral tribunals, requiring plaintiffs to provide specific of errors like miscounts, ineligible voters, or procedural failures that demonstrably altered the result. The initiation of a post-election contest usually involves filing a or detailing the grounds for , such as discrepancies in vote totals, tampering with ballots, or non-compliance with laws, followed by evidentiary hearings where both sides present witnesses and documents. Remedies sought may include manual recounts of ballots, statistical audits to verify machine tabulations, exclusion of tainted precincts, or, in extreme cases, and rerun of the ; however, courts demand a high of proof, often requiring demonstration that the alleged flaws affected enough votes to change the winner. For congressional races , the Federal Contested Elections Act outlines procedures for members to contest seats before a , though such challenges seldom reverse outcomes without compelling , as the body must weigh certifications against claims of malfeasance. While post-election contests enhance by allowing of results, their resolution hinges on predefined legal standards to prevent frivolous claims that could erode public confidence; for instance, many jurisdictions mandate security deposits or bonds from challengers to deter unsubstantiated suits. Internationally, bodies like electoral management organizations or supreme courts handle analogous disputes, as seen in frameworks emphasizing in result aggregation and to uphold . Success rates remain low, with most contests dismissed for insufficient evidence, underscoring the emphasis on verifiable causation over mere allegation in causal assessments of electoral disputes.

Resolution Mechanisms

Domestic Judicial and Administrative Processes

Domestic judicial processes for resolving disputed elections typically involve formal legal challenges filed in courts, where petitioners present of irregularities such as , procedural errors, or violations of electoral , seeking remedies like result invalidation or vote recounts. These proceedings emphasize hierarchical appellate structures, allowing initial rulings by lower courts or specialized election tribunals to be appealed to higher judicial bodies, including supreme or constitutional courts, to ensure uniformity and finality. Accessibility is prioritized through short filing deadlines—often days after results certification—and requirements for specific, verifiable , preventing frivolous claims while upholding . Administrative processes, managed by election management bodies (EMBs) like central election commissions, handle preliminary disputes through internal adjudication, such as complaints over ballot counting or candidate eligibility, before escalating to if unresolved. In systems like the , the Federal Contested Elections Act of 1969 governs challenges to elections via petitions to the , followed by committee investigations and floor votes, with similar provisions for disputes under party rules. These mechanisms aim for swift resolution to avoid governance vacuums, though delays can arise from evidentiary burdens or political influences, as seen in cases where courts demand concrete proof over mere allegations. Credibility hinges on and , with public hearings and reasoned decisions mitigating perceptions of ; however, in politically charged environments, outcomes may reflect institutional leanings, necessitating robust evidentiary standards grounded in empirical data like ballot audits rather than unsubstantiated claims. (ADR) techniques, such as by EMBs, supplement formal processes for minor pre-election issues, fostering consensus without full litigation, though they are less common for core result challenges due to the need for binding legal authority. Remedies vary by but commonly include partial reruns, seat forfeitures, or affirmed results, with finality enforced to stabilize transitions of .

Audits, Recounts, and Verification Methods

Recounts involve the manual or machine re-tabulation of ballots in specific races or jurisdictions, typically triggered by narrow margins, requests, or statutory requirements. In many systems, automatic recounts occur when the vote difference falls below a , such as 0.5% in some U.S. states, to verify initial tallies without assuming error. Demanded recounts, initiated by or parties within deadlines like five days post-certification, allow scrutiny of disputed ballots but often require petitioners to cover costs if no change results. The process includes re-examining ballots for marks, signatures, and eligibility, potentially rejecting or curing invalid votes, though outcomes rarely alter certified results due to initial counts' accuracy. Post-election audits differ from recounts by statistically sampling ballots rather than re-counting all, aiming to confirm reported outcomes with predefined levels. Risk-limiting audits (RLAs), a prominent type, draw random samples from voter-verifiable paper records until the risk of an incorrect outcome—often set at 5% or 10%—is statistically bounded below that limit, providing probabilistic assurance without exhaustive review. These require auditable paper trails, as electronic-only systems limit ; in RLAs, discrepancies trigger expanded sampling or full hand counts. Other audits, like fixed-percentage or precinct-based, check a set portion of ballots against tabulator outputs, focusing on procedural compliance such as chain-of-custody and equipment calibration. Verification methods complement audits and recounts through procedural checks, including to reconcile vote totals with turnout records, matching on absentee ballots, and forensic of voting for tampering indicators like unauthorized access logs. In disputed contexts, independent observers or bipartisan teams oversee these to mitigate , with statistical models assessing rates from or sources. While effective for detecting systematic issues—such as in Georgia's 2020 hand recount confirming machine tallies—limitations persist in non-transparent systems lacking backups, where relies on logs or affidavits prone to contestation. Empirical data from implemented RLAs, as in since 2017, show they routinely affirm results with minimal escalation, enhancing when transparently conducted.

International Monitoring and Diplomatic Interventions

International entails systematic assessments by multinational organizations to verify compliance with democratic standards across the electoral process, from to result certification. Prominent entities include the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and (ODIHR), Election Observation Missions (EU EOMs), and the Carter Center, which deploy long-term analysts for pre-election phases and short-term observers for polling day activities. These missions evaluate factors such as ballot secrecy, voter access, and tabulation integrity, producing reports that document irregularities and recommend reforms. In disputed contexts, such observations can substantiate claims or bolster legitimacy, with OSCE assessments showing high correlation to independent expert evaluations of electoral quality. The impact of on varies; while it deters overt through visibility and builds public confidence, limitations like observer at polling stations can undermine perceptions of neutrality. suggests monitoring influences political actors' behavior by raising costs, though its hinges on credible methodologies and domestic of findings. Critiques highlight potential geopolitical biases in Western-dominated missions, which monitored states often contest, yet overall, these efforts contribute to without guaranteeing resolution. Diplomatic interventions typically follow monitoring reports in highly contested elections, involving non-recognition of outcomes, targeted sanctions, or facilitated dialogues to mitigate and enforce . In the 2020 Belarus presidential election, OSCE critiques of fraud prompted the , , , and to jointly denounce the results as illegitimate, leading to sanctions on over 100 regime officials and entities by 2022. Similarly, the 2007 Kenyan election crisis, marked by irregularities and over 1,100 deaths, saw African Union-brokered mediation by yield a February 2008 power-sharing accord between incumbents and opposition, stabilizing the government. These measures aim to pressure violators and incentivize fair processes, but success depends on coordinated international action and host country cooperation; fragmented responses, as seen in some cases, diminish leverage. Interventions grounded in enhance legitimacy restoration, though selectivity—prioritizing aligned regimes—raises questions about , underscoring the need for diverse observer coalitions.

Historical Development

Pre-Modern and Early Modern Examples

In the medieval period, papal elections were prone to disputes owing to ambiguous selection procedures, factional divisions among cardinals, and interference from secular powers such as the . A prominent example occurred following the death of on September 1, 1159, when a of initially elected Rolando Bandinelli as III on September 7. However, a minority faction, backed by I , proclaimed Octavian of Monticelli as IV the same day, citing procedural irregularities and leading to armed clashes in that forced Alexander into temporary . This persisted until Victor's death on April 20, 1164, after which Alexander secured broader recognition, though the conflict underscored the vulnerability of elections to influence and internal . The most protracted dispute arose from the 1378 after Gregory XI's death on March 27, 1378. Pressured by the populace demanding an , the cardinals unanimously elected Bartolomeo Prignano of as Urban VI on April 8. Regretting their choice due to Urban's abrasive reforms and perceiving the selection as coerced, the cardinals withdrew to and elected Robert of as Clement VII on September 20, 1378, igniting the . This divided Western Christendom into and Avignon obediences along national lines—, , and supporting Clement's line, while , the , and backed Urban's successors—persisting through multiple antipapal claimants until the deposed the rivals and elected Martin V in November 1417. The schism highlighted causal factors like cardinals' post-election retraction and geopolitical alignments exacerbating electoral invalidation claims. Elections for also featured notable disputes prior to the , which formalized procedures among seven electors. After the death of Conrad IV in 1254, a fragmented electorate produced a double in 1257: four electors, including the , chose (brother of England's ) on January 5, while the remaining three selected on April 20, reflecting princely rivalries and foreign ambitions amid the Interregnum's . Neither candidate effectively consolidated control in , prolonging instability until Rudolf I of Habsburg's uncontested election in 1273. A similar occurred in 1314, with Louis IV of Bavaria and of Austria both claiming victory after a tied vote among electors, resulting in co-kingship and civil war until 1325; these cases stemmed from undefined majority requirements and electors' autonomy, often prioritizing local interests over imperial unity.

19th and 20th Century Cases

The 19th century saw electoral disputes frequently stem from uneven franchise expansion, rudimentary vote-counting methods, and partisan control over certification processes, often resolved through ad hoc commissions or legislative bargains rather than standardized . In the United States, the 1876 presidential election between Republican and Democrat exemplified such tensions, with Tilden securing 4,284,020 popular votes (50.9%) to Hayes's 4,036,572 (47.9%), and initially claiming 184 electoral votes to Hayes's 165. Disputes arose over 20 electoral votes from , , , and , where Democratic majorities alleged Republican intimidation of Black voters and fraudulent returns amid Reconstruction-era violence; Republicans countered with claims of Democratic ballot-box stuffing. A bipartisan Electoral Commission, established by on January 29, 1877, awarded all contested votes to Hayes by an 8-7 party-line margin, resulting in his 185-184 victory certified on March 2, 1877, after informal negotiations promising federal troop withdrawal from the . In the , parliamentary elections post-1832 Reform Act generated over 2,000 controverted election petitions by 1865, primarily alleging , treating (vote-buying via hospitality), and , leading to the unseating of numerous by select committees. These disputes highlighted systemic in "pocket boroughs" and open voting, prompting reforms like the 1868 use of simpler ballots and the 1872 Act to curb ; for instance, the 1859-1860 election saw the sitting unseated after evidence of widespread voter payments, reflecting how economic coercion undermined before secret voting. The 20th century shifted disputes toward industrialized fraud allegations, machine politics, and authoritarian suppression, coinciding with mass suffrage but persistent verification weaknesses. Mexico's 1910 presidential election featured incumbent facing , who documented over 1,000 instances of electoral irregularities including ballot stuffing, voter intimidation by federal troops, and exclusion of opposition monitors, securing only 196 valid votes in precincts versus Díaz's claimed 5,000; official results gave Díaz 90% of the vote, but Madero's exposé in his 1909 book The Presidential Succession in 1910 ignited protests and the Mexican Revolution by November 1910. In the United States, the 1960 presidential contest between and produced a razor-thin popular margin of 112,827 votes (0.17%) favoring Kennedy's 34,220,984 (49.7%) over Nixon's 34,108,157 (49.5%), with 303-219 electoral votes; Republicans alleged vote theft in (where Mayor Richard Daley's machine added 450,000 votes, flipping the state) and Texas (via Lyndon Johnson's influence), supported by later analyses showing improbable turnout patterns, though Nixon waived legal challenges to preserve national unity amid pressures. These cases underscored causal factors like urban political machines and weak oversight, often resolved politically rather than forensically, foreshadowing demands for recounts and audits.

Post-Cold War and Contemporary Trends

Following the end of the in 1991, a surge in multiparty elections occurred across former communist states and other regions, but many contests were marred by allegations of fraud, vote-rigging, and irregularities due to nascent institutions and incumbents' reluctance to relinquish power. In and the post-Soviet space, disputes often escalated into mass protests, as seen in the color revolutions of the early , where exit polls contradicting official results fueled claims of systematic manipulation. For instance, Serbia's 2000 saw over 2 million protesters challenge Slobodan Milošević's victory amid evidence of ballot stuffing and media control, leading to his ouster after the invalidated results under public pressure. Similar patterns emerged in Georgia's 2003 parliamentary vote, where fraud allegations prompted the and Mikheil Saakashvili's ascension, and Ukraine's 2004 presidential runoff, where Viktor Yanukovych's initial win was overturned following protests over poisoned opponent and vote tampering documented by international observers. These events, totaling at least four major uprisings between 2000 and 2005, highlighted a trend where electoral disputes catalyzed nonviolent regime transitions, often with Western NGO support for monitoring and mobilization. ![BelarusElections2020-InternationalReaction.svg.png][center] In hybrid regimes—systems blending democratic facades with authoritarian controls—post-2000s trends shifted toward "electoral authoritarianism," where incumbents held regular polls but ensured outcomes through state media dominance, opposition harassment, and administrative resource abuse, prompting recurrent disputes without yielding power transfers. Kyrgyzstan's 2005 Tulip Revolution exemplified early successes, annulling fraudulent parliamentary results and installing Kurmanbek Bakiyev, but subsequent backsliding illustrated reversals, with Bakiyev himself facing 2010 protests over graft and poll rigging. By the 2010s, regimes adapted by suppressing protests more aggressively; Russia's 2011 Duma elections drew over 100,000 demonstrators decrying carousel voting and ballot invalidation, yet Vladimir Putin retained control via judicial dismissals and arrests. This pattern persisted into the 2020s, as in Belarus's August 2020 presidential election, where Alexander Lukashenko claimed 80.1% against Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's 10%, amid documented cases of coerced voting and suppressed opposition, sparking the largest protests since 1991 and non-recognition by over 100 countries. Venezuela's 2018 vote, boycotted by much of the opposition and deemed fraudulent by the OAS for lacking transparency, saw Nicolás Maduro secure 67.8% via electronic systems prone to hacking, leading to U.S. and EU sanctions but no regime change. Contemporary trends in established democracies reveal heightened claims amid and technological shifts, though institutional resolutions have largely upheld results despite eroding . In the U.S., the 2020 election faced over 60 lawsuits alleging irregularities in mail-in ballots and machines, but federal courts, including Trump-appointed judges, rejected widespread evidence, with audits in states like confirming Biden's margin by under 0.3%. Globally, amplified disputes, as in Brazil's 2022 contest where Jair Bolsonaro's supporters stormed post-loss, echoing unproven hacking claims, while fueled 2024 narratives in over 50 elections. In hybrid contexts, autocratization accelerated, with V-Dem showing 42 countries regressing since 2011, often via manipulated polls that provoke protests met with crackdowns, contrasting earlier color revolution successes and underscoring incumbents' learning curves in preempting challenges. by bodies like the OSCE has documented irregularities in 70% of observed post-1991 polls, yet geopolitical divides—Western support for opposition versus Russian/Chinese backing of incumbents—have limited , fostering a in resolution.

Case Studies in Democratic Systems

United States

The has experienced a handful of highly contested presidential elections, where narrow margins, procedural irregularities, or allegations of misconduct in battleground states prompted legal challenges, recounts, or congressional intervention. These disputes are resolved through constitutional mechanisms, including state canvassing boards for certification, federal courts for , and for counting electoral votes under the (as amended in 2022 to clarify procedures and reduce ). Unlike some cases, U.S. resolutions have consistently adhered to institutional processes without military involvement or suspension of results, though outcomes have sometimes hinged on compromises or court interpretations of equal protection and . Key instances include the 1876 election, settled via an commission amid Reconstruction-era tensions; the 1960 election, shadowed by unlitigated fraud claims; the 2000 recount, terminated by the ; and the 2020 election, where widespread legal challenges failed to alter certified results. Such disputes underscore the system's emphasis on verifiable and procedural finality, though critics from various perspectives have questioned the adequacy of safeguards against localized or administrative errors. For instance, post-election audits and statistical analyses have been employed variably, with outcomes often influenced by control of apparatuses. Mainstream academic and analyses, which may reflect institutional biases toward interpretations, frequently attribute disputes to logistical issues rather than systemic malfeasance, while dissenting views highlight potential vulnerabilities in mail-in voting expansions or observer access. Nonetheless, no U.S. has been overturned post-certification based on findings.

1876 Presidential Election

The 1876 election pitted Republican against Democrat amid post-Civil War sectional strife and the end of in the South. Tilden secured the popular vote by approximately 260,000 s (50.9% to 47.9%) and initially appeared to claim 184 electoral votes to Hayes's 165, but 20 votes from , , , and were contested due to Democratic challenges to Republican-controlled returning boards and allegations of voter or ballot stuffing by both sides. With no constitutional mechanism for ties, created a 15-member Electoral Commission in January 1877, composed of five senators, five representatives, and five justices (four Republicans, four Democrats, one independent who aligned with Republicans). The commission voted 8-7 along party lines to award all disputed electors to Hayes, resulting in a 185-184 victory certified on March 2, 1877—just before inauguration. This outcome facilitated the , under which Hayes promised to withdraw federal troops from the South, effectively ending and enabling Democratic "Redeemer" governments, though it fueled long-term accusations of a "stolen" election from Democrats and concerns over suppressed votes.

1960 Presidential Election

narrowly defeated , winning 303 electoral votes to 219 and the popular vote by 112,827 ballots (49.72% to 49.55%), with the outcome hinging on (margin: 8,858 votes) and (margin under 46,000 votes). Allegations of surfaced immediately, particularly in under Mayor , where Republicans claimed dead voters, multiple voting, and ballot tampering inflated Democratic tallies; a post-election study estimated up to 10,000 fraudulent votes in alone, potentially flipping the state and election. Similar irregularities were alleged in , involving Lyndon B. Johnson's influence. Nixon, advised by Eisenhower-era officials, declined to pursue formal recounts or lawsuits, citing national interest in avoiding prolonged uncertainty amid tensions, including the recent U-2 incident and prelude; he conceded on November 9, 1960. Subsequent investigations, including by the Illinois Board of Elections, confirmed some irregularities but deemed them insufficient to reverse results, though skeptics argue the lack of litigation preserved Democratic control without full evidentiary scrutiny. No electoral votes were overturned, and was inaugurated without congressional objection.

2000 Presidential Election

defeated after a 537-vote margin in (out of 5,963,110 cast) triggered automatic machine recounts and manual challenges under state law, with requesting hand recounts in four Democratic-leaning counties focusing on "undervotes" from punch-card ballots (e.g., "hanging chads"). Initial certified results showed leading by 1,783 votes; partial manual tallies narrowed it but raised disputes over standards for valid punches, butterfly ballots in Palm Beach County (where over 19,000 undervotes occurred, partly due to design confusion), and overseas absentee ballots favoring . Florida's Supreme Court ordered a statewide manual recount on December 8, 2000, but the U.S. intervened in Bush v. Gore (5-4 decision on December 12), ruling that varying county standards violated the and that no constitutionally valid recount could complete by the federal safe harbor deadline (December 12 for electors). The per curiam opinion halted further counting, preserving Bush's certification with 271 electoral votes to Gore's 266; Gore conceded the next day. Post-hoc studies, including a 2001 media consortium recount, suggested Gore might have won under uniform standards, but the election highlighted punch-card vulnerabilities later addressed by the Help America Vote Act of 2002.

2020 Presidential Election

Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump with 306 electoral votes to 232 and a popular margin of over 7 million (51.3% to 46.8%), but Trump and allies filed over 60 lawsuits alleging irregularities in states like Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin, citing expanded mail-in voting, signature mismatches, late ballots, and observer restrictions amid COVID-19 protocols. Claims included Dominion voting machine glitches (later debunked by hand audits) and statistical anomalies in vote dumps, though federal agencies like CISA affirmed it "the most secure in American history." State and federal courts, including Trump-appointed judges, dismissed nearly all cases—30+ on merits for lack of evidence, others on standing, laches, or —finding no widespread sufficient to alter outcomes; for example, Georgia's hand recount confirmed Biden's 11,779-vote win, and Pennsylvania courts rejected undated mail-in ballot challenges post-certification. Recounts in , , and (via Cyber Ninjas audit) upheld results with minor adjustments favoring Biden. Certifications proceeded, with Republican legislatures and officials (e.g., Georgia's ) refusing decertification despite pressure; rejected objections on January 6-7, 2021, after violence interrupted proceedings. Persistent claims of bias in urban election administration persist among skeptics, but no or reversed results, leading to Biden's .

1876 Presidential Election

The , held on November 7, pitted Republican nominee , the governor of , against Democratic nominee , the governor of New York. Tilden secured the popular vote with 4,288,191 ballots (approximately 50.9%) compared to Hayes's 4,033,497 (about 48.0%), marking the first instance since in which the popular vote winner did not prevail in the . Initially, Tilden appeared to hold 184 uncontested electoral votes, one short of the 185 needed for a , while Hayes had 165, leaving 20 votes from four states in contention. Disputes arose primarily in the Reconstruction-era Southern states of (4 electoral votes), (8), and (7), where both Democratic and Republican electors submitted competing certificates amid allegations of fraud, intimidation, and violence during voting; federal troops enforcing control clashed with Democratic majorities claiming local victories. In (1 vote), a Democratic elector was replaced by a Republican after refusing to resign, further complicating certification. These irregularities reflected broader tensions over federal oversight of Southern elections, with returning boards—often -appointed—certifying Hayes slates despite Tilden's apparent state-level wins. Congress addressed the impasse through the Electoral Commission Act of January 29, , establishing a bipartisan panel of five members, five senators, and five justices (with an 8-7 edge) to decide disputed votes by majority vote, binding unless overridden by both chambers. Beginning February 1, , joint sessions counted votes over 15 meetings, with the commission awarding all 20 disputed electors to Hayes along party lines, resulting in a final 185-184 victory. Democrats, controlling the , attempted filibusters but relented amid informal negotiations known as the , under which Hayes pledged to withdraw remaining federal troops from the South, appoint a Southern Democrat to his cabinet, and prioritize over further enforcement—effectively ending Radical oversight and enabling Democratic "Redeemer" governments to consolidate power. Hayes was inaugurated on March 5, , averting but at the cost of diminished federal protection for Black Southern voters.

1960 Presidential Election

The pitted Democratic Senator against Republican Vice President Richard M. Nixon, resulting in Kennedy's victory by a narrow margin. Kennedy received 34,220,984 popular votes (49.72%) to Nixon's 34,108,157 (49.55%), a difference of 112,827 votes out of approximately 68.8 million cast. In the , Kennedy secured 303 votes to Nixon's 219. The election's outcome hinged on slim margins in several states, particularly (won by Kennedy 3,008,141 to 2,999,283, or 8,858 votes) and (won by Kennedy 1,167,567 to 1,121,699, or 45,868 votes), which together provided 51 electoral votes. Allegations of voter fraud emerged immediately after the November 8, 1960, voting, centered on Democratic strongholds in , , and rural counties. In , Republican investigators, including journalist Earl Mazo, documented irregularities in 's Democratic machine under Mayor , such as precincts reporting more votes than registered voters (e.g., one ward with 56% excess votes) and evidence of ballot stuffing, repeat voting, and votes from deceased individuals. A special prosecutor appointed by Cook County Judge Richard Austin charged over 650 individuals with election fraud, though many cases were dismissed due to evidentiary challenges, witness intimidation, and statutes of limitations expiring before full trials. In , the "Box 13" scandal in Jim Wells County involved a late-night addition of 202 votes—all for Kennedy—from Precinct 13, flipping Duval County and contributing to the state's narrow Democratic margin; this occurred amid influence from Lyndon B. Johnson's political network. Historical analyses, including Edmund F. Kallina's examination of returns, conclude that documented fraud in alone exceeded the state's popular vote margin, potentially depriving Nixon of its 27 electoral votes. Nixon, who privately believed the election was stolen based on internal Republican audits showing irregularities sufficient to alter the result, chose not to pursue legal challenges publicly. He conceded on , 1960, citing national interest during the and the risk of prolonged uncertainty damaging U.S. institutions abroad. Limited recounts in confirmed some discrepancies but were constrained by deadlines and court rulings; Texas law similarly barred post-election contests in presidential races. Scholarly works, such as Irwin F. Gellman's Campaign of the Century (2022), argue that systemic Democratic fraud in these states decided the election, supported by precinct-level data and contemporary investigations, though some accounts dismiss the claims as unproven myths without overturning of overvotes and procedural violations. The episode highlighted vulnerabilities in mid-20th-century voting systems, including paper ballots, lax oversight, and urban machine politics, but lacked modern safeguards like widespread audits.

2000 Presidential Election

The occurred on November 7, 2000, between Republican and Democrat , with control of also at stake. won the national popular vote by 543,895 ballots, receiving 50,999,897 votes (48.4 percent) to Bush's 50,456,002 (47.9 percent). However, 's 25 electoral votes proved decisive, as initial tallies showed Bush ahead by 1,787 votes out of approximately 5.96 million cast, triggering an automatic statewide machine recount under that reduced the margin to 537 votes for Bush. On election night, networks using data from the Voter News Service consortium projected for shortly after polls closed in the panhandle, prompting his concession call to Bush around 3 a.m. ET; the projection was retracted hours later as rural votes favored Bush, leading to withdraw the concession. Disputes centered on undervotes—ballots not registering a presidential choice—primarily from punch-card voting machines in Democratic-leaning counties, where requested manual recounts in , Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade, citing potential errors like "hanging chads" (partially detached chads on ballots). These partial recounts initially added votes to but faced challenges over subjective criteria for validating ballots, halting in some counties due to time constraints or decisions like Miami-Dade's abandonment amid protests. 's canvassing commission certified Bush's win on November 26, but the , in a 4-3 ruling on , ordered a contest-period statewide manual recount of undervotes. The U.S. granted Bush's emergency stay on December 9 and, in its December 12 per curiam decision in (5-4 on the merits), reversed the court's order, holding that the recount's varying standards across counties violated the of the by treating voters unequally without feasible time for uniform procedures before the electoral deadline. This effectively ended further recounts, securing Bush's 271-266 electoral victory and presidency. Dissenters, led by Justice Stevens, argued the decision undermined state sovereignty and equal protection principles selectively. Subsequent empirical analyses reinforced the outcome's stability: a November 2001 review by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and others of 175,000 uncounted ballots found Bush would still lead under most uniform standards for dimpled or hanging chads, with Gore gaining ground only in scenarios rejecting all undervotes or including overvotes (ballots with multiple presidential marks). A 2001 Florida Senate report documented irregularities like voter purges and machine errors but concluded none systematically favored one candidate enough to flip the result. Claims of widespread disenfranchisement, often amplified in media and academic critiques, lacked causal evidence tying them to outcome-altering scales, as total disputed ballots fell short of the certified margin. The episode highlighted vulnerabilities in outdated voting technology, prompting federal reforms like the Help America Vote Act of 2002.

2020 Presidential Election

The occurred on November 3, 2020, amid the , which prompted many states to expand mail-in and absentee options, including no-excuse absentee ballots in additional jurisdictions and automatic mailing of ballots to voters in some areas. Democrat defeated incumbent Republican , securing 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232, with certification completed by state officials and affirmed by on January 6-7, 2021, following the . Trump prematurely declared victory on election night and subsequently alleged widespread voter fraud, citing issues such as late-night ballot counting shifts in urban areas, alleged irregularities in mail-in ballot processing, claims of machines flipping votes, and instances of purported dead or ineligible voters in swing states including , , , , and . Trump's campaign and allies filed over 60 lawsuits challenging results in battleground states, alleging procedural violations and , but nearly all were dismissed or withdrawn due to lack of standing, insufficient evidence, or procedural bars, with courts including those presided over by Trump-appointed judges ruling against the claims. In , a full hand recount of over 5 million ballots confirmed Biden's margin of at 11,779 votes, narrowing it slightly from the initial machine count but finding no systemic discrepancies. Arizona's Republican-led Maricopa County audit, conducted by Cyber Ninjas, examined ballots and equipment but ultimately affirmed Biden's win, increasing his margin by 360 votes while identifying isolated procedural issues but no evidence of altering the outcome. Federal officials, including Attorney General , stated on December 1, 2020, that the Justice Department had uncovered no widespread capable of affecting the election's result after investigating allegations. The (CISA) described the election as "the most secure in American history," citing robust safeguards against tampering and no evidence of compromised voting systems. Despite these findings, persisted in disputing the results, refusing to concede and pressuring state officials, such as Georgia Secretary of State , to alter certified tallies, which contributed to ongoing polarization but did not alter the certified outcome. Isolated instances of irregularities, such as improper ballot handling in some locales, were documented but deemed insufficient to sway statewide results by audits and investigations.

Other Democratic Examples

Disputed elections have occurred in various democratic systems outside the , often involving allegations of procedural irregularities, voter suppression, or counting errors, but typically resolved through or administrative recounts without . These cases highlight the role of independent electoral bodies and courts in upholding legitimacy, contrasting with more protracted or unresolved disputes in regimes. from post-election audits and generally shows that while isolated malfeasance exists, widespread capable of altering national outcomes is rare in established democracies, with resolutions reinforcing institutional trust rather than eroding it.

United Kingdom and Commonwealth Cases

In the , modern general elections have faced few national-level disputes, with challenges primarily limited to local constituencies via election petitions under the Representation of the People Act. These petitions, adjudicated by election courts, address issues like or but have not overturned results on a scale affecting since the . Historically, "controverted elections" were commonplace before the Act of 1872 and Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act of 1883, which curtailed and treating; between 1690 and 1868, over 200 parliamentary elections were contested, often delaying seating for months. Among nations, Canada's 2011 federal election drew significant scrutiny over the "robocalls" , where automated calls in at least 86 ridings misled voters about polling locations, directing some to incorrect or nonexistent sites. investigations confirmed deliberate misleading calls in , , linked to staffer Michael Sona, who was convicted in 2014 of violating the Elections Act and sentenced to nine months in prison; however, no evidence emerged of intent to suppress votes on a scale sufficient to alter the overall result, and the Harper Conservative continued in power. Broader probes found similar tactics in other ridings but deemed them insufficient for systemic invalidation, underscoring vulnerabilities in voter contact databases rather than ballot tampering. Australia's 2013 federal election in provides another instance, where 1,375 ballot papers went missing during transport, prompting recounts of informal votes. The , sitting as the Court of Disputed Returns, ruled on February 20, 2014, that the irregularities— including lost ballots and procedural failures—compromised the election's integrity for the state's six seats, voiding the results despite no proven intent to defraud. A supplementary election was held on September 7, 2013, alongside the House poll, with outcomes redistributed under ; this resolution via judicial intervention preserved democratic continuity without broader challenges.

European Union Member States

member states have experienced electoral disputes centered on procedural adherence, often prompting recounts or re-runs enforced by . In Austria's 2016 second round on May 22, independent candidate narrowly defeated Freedom Party nominee by 30,863 votes (50.35% to 49.65%), but the annulled the result on July 1, 2016, citing irregularities in 94,000 postal ballots across multiple regions, where invalid votes were erroneously counted as valid. This unprecedented post-war invalidation—driven by audit discrepancies rather than fraud allegations—led to a re-run on December 4, 2016, which Van der Bellen won by a wider margin of 53.8%, demonstrating judicial safeguards against minor errors without partisan bias. Romania's 2009 presidential runoff on December 6 saw incumbent Traian Băses

United Kingdom and Commonwealth Cases

In the , parliamentary election disputes, historically termed controverted elections, were commonplace before the 19th-century reforms that expanded the and curbed . These challenges typically arose from allegations of , treating voters to or drink, and by landowners or patrons in pocket boroughs, where outcomes were manipulated through controlled electorates. Adjudication occurred via petitions to select committees of the , whose partisan makeup often determined resolutions, with proceedings lasting months and involving witness testimonies. Between 1690 and 1868, over 2,000 such petitions were filed, reflecting the systemic irregularities in an era when only about 3-5% of the population could vote. The Parliamentary Elections Act 1868 marked a pivotal shift by creating independent election courts comprising judges to investigate petitions, aiming to insulate decisions from parliamentary politics. This reform, alongside the Secret Ballot Act 1872 and Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act 1883, reduced the frequency and severity of disputes by criminalizing common abuses and standardizing procedures. A specific instance from this transitional period was the 1869 North Norfolk election petition, where Conservative MP Henry Lee Warner Stracey's victory was upheld despite Liberal accusations of voter bribery and treating, as evidenced in parliamentary records of expenditures on hospitality exceeding typical norms. In contemporary practice, national election outcomes have not faced systemic challenges akin to those in other democracies, with disputes confined to individual constituencies via petitions under the Representation of the People Act 1983. A rare modern voiding occurred in the 2010 Oldham East and by-election, where Phil was disqualified for false campaign statements impugning his Liberal Democrat opponent's character, violating section 106 of the Act; the court reviewed leaflets claiming the opponent reneged on pledges to oppose , finding them knowingly untrue, prompting a rerun won by the challenger. Such cases underscore the judiciary's role in upholding integrity without undermining overall results, with only four parliamentary seats voided since 1945. Among nations, election disputes have varied by institutional maturity and historical context, often involving allegations of or rather than wholesale rejection of results. In , the 1964 elections—held shortly after the UK's withdrawal of support for self-rule under —were marred by covert U.S. interventions, including CIA-orchestrated labor strikes and funding for opposition parties to prevent a Jagan victory perceived as communist-aligned; declassified documents reveal expenditures of over $1 million to sway outcomes, leading to Forbes Burnham's amid claims of rigging. Papua New Guinea's polls, such as the 2022 general election, have recurrently featured , ghost voters, and logistical failures, with over 50 deaths reported and thousands of ballot discrepancies, though results stood after partial recounts. These instances highlight how weaker administrative frameworks in some Commonwealth states amplify local disputes, contrasting with the UK's more robust mechanisms.

European Union Member States

In Austria's 2016 presidential election, the second round on May 22 initially saw independent candidate Alexander Van der Bellen defeat Freedom Party (FPÖ) nominee Norbert Hofer by a narrow margin of 50.3% to 49.7%, with postal ballots proving decisive. The FPÖ challenged the results, alleging irregularities including mishandling of postal votes, invalid ballots counted erroneously, and violations of secrecy in at least 14 of Austria's 25 postal voting districts, affecting approximately 4.7% of total votes. On July 1, 2016, the Constitutional Court annulled the entire second-round outcome, citing procedural flaws such as unsealed envelopes and premature opening of ballots, though it found no evidence of intentional fraud altering the winner. A rerun occurred on December 4, 2016, where Van der Bellen secured victory with 53.8% against Hofer's 46.2%, amid heightened turnout and international scrutiny over rising populism. Romania's 2009 presidential election featured intense disputes in its November 22 first round and December 6 runoff between incumbent and Social Democrat . Băsescu won the runoff by 50.33% to 49.67%, a margin of about 70,000 votes out of 9.2 million cast, prompting opposition claims of widespread fraud including ballot stuffing and voter intimidation. Protests erupted in , with Geoană's camp alleging manipulation by the government and intelligence services; the Central Electoral Bureau initially rejected recounts but, under pressure, the ordered a full nationwide recount on December 14. The recount confirmed Băsescu's without significant changes, leading to his on December 20, though observers noted polarized media coverage and unproven accusations of occult interference, highlighting Romania's fragile post-communist electoral institutions. More recently, Romania's 2024 presidential election faced unprecedented annulment. In the first round on November 24, independent ultranationalist unexpectedly led with 22.9% of votes, attributed partly to viral campaigns. On December 6, the voided the entire first round—citing declassified intelligence reports of systematic hybrid interference, including algorithmic promotion on platforms reaching millions and covert funding exceeding €1 million—without evidence of domestic vote tampering but emphasizing threats to . This decision sparked nationwide protests from December 2024 into 2025, with critics decrying it as judicial overreach undermining democracy, while supporters argued it prevented foreign manipulation akin to tactics in and . A rerun first round on May 4, 2025, saw Alliance for the Union of Romanians leader win 40.96%, advancing to a May 18 runoff against mayor , amid ongoing debates over electoral integrity and platform regulations. Disputes in other EU states, such as Bulgaria's 2020–2021 snap elections triggering protests over alleged oligarchic influence rather than procedural invalidation, or Hungary's recurring claims of Fidesz media dominance skewing outcomes without court-mandated reversals, have generally not escalated to annulments, reflecting stronger institutional safeguards in Western members but vulnerabilities in Eastern ones to and external meddling.

Case Studies in Hybrid and Authoritarian Systems

Russia

's , established post-Soviet , has featured regular and parliamentary votes since 1993, but under Vladimir Putin's since 2000, disputes have centered on systemic manipulations ensuring regime dominance rather than genuine . analyses, including peer-reviewed statistical studies, document patterns of such as , coerced voting (""), and inflated turnout, particularly evident in the 2011 election and the 2024 . These irregularities, corroborated by video and observer reports, have triggered domestic protests and condemnation, though legal challenges rarely succeed due to controlled and . The December 4, 2011, legislative election marked a , with Putin's party officially securing 48.83% of the vote amid widespread allegations. Election monitors and citizens captured videos of ballot box stuffing and multiple voting, while a assigning independent observers to 156 polling stations estimated boosted United Russia's share by 8-11 percentage points locally. Statistical models revealed anomalies like improbable turnout spikes correlating with high pro-regime votes, suggesting national inflated results by millions. These events sparked the largest protests since the Soviet era, drawing up to 120,000 demonstrators in on December 10, 2011, chanting against falsifications and demanding fair elections; authorities responded with arrests and limited probes, attributing unrest to foreign influence. Subsequent elections reinforced this pattern, culminating in the March 15-17, 2024, presidential vote where Putin garnered 87.28% against token opposition, following the death in prison of critic and bans on anti-war candidates. Independent Russian monitors, including Golos, labeled the process a "," citing coerced , absent international observers, and discrepancies like 99% pro-Putin tallies in occupied Ukrainian regions. The Shpilkin method—a statistical technique isolating fraudulent "non-normal" votes—estimated 30-50 million of Putin's 76 million votes as fabricated, with Europe calculating 31.6 million stolen via methods including workplace mandates and algorithmic manipulations in online systems. Official turnout hit 77.44%, but anomalies persisted even without opposition, underscoring fraud's role in legitimizing extended rule amid suppressed dissent and labeled "extremist" opposition groups.

Belarus

Presidential elections in since Lukashenko's assumption of power in 1994 have recurrently faced allegations of irregularities, with the vote exemplifying systemic issues in the country's hybrid authoritarian system. Lukashenko, who has ruled continuously, secured official victories in 1994, 2001, 2006, 2010, 2015, and , often amid reports of opposition suppression, media control, and procedural flaws noted by organizations like the OSCE. The Central Election Commission (CEC), lacking independence, has consistently reported Lukashenko's margins exceeding 80%, as in the August 9, , election where he received 80.1% against Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's 10.1%. Independent tallies and polls, however, indicated Tsikhanouskaya leading with up to 60% support, highlighting discrepancies unattributable to mere polling errors given the state's monopoly on . Fraud allegations in 2020 were substantiated by testimonies from poll workers who described ballot stuffing, coerced falsification of protocols, and pressure to inflate Lukashenko's totals, with some precincts reporting improbable 100% turnout and unanimous votes for the incumbent. The absence of credible international observers—Belarus authorities denied OSCE invitations for full missions—exacerbated distrust, as domestic monitoring was restricted and state media dominated coverage. Opposition figures, including Tsikhanouskaya, who coordinated a unified challenge after male rivals were imprisoned or barred, collected over a million signatures for her candidacy but faced harassment; post-election, she fled to Lithuania amid threats. These patterns echo prior contests, such as 2006 and 2010, where protests followed similar result announcements, but 2020's scale reflected eroded legitimacy after economic stagnation and COVID-19 mishandling. The disputed outcome triggered unprecedented protests, with hundreds of thousands marching in and nationwide from August 2020 onward, met by violent crackdowns involving beatings, arbitrary arrests, and torture, resulting in over 30,000 detentions and at least four protester deaths. Lukashenko dismissed fraud claims as foreign-orchestrated, retaining power through security forces loyal amid assistance rumors, while Western governments, including the and , refused recognition, imposing sanctions on officials for undermining . Russia's endorsement contrasted with this, underscoring geopolitical divides; subsequent parliamentary votes, like 2024's, perpetuated the cycle without genuine contestation. This entrenched non-competitive framework prioritizes regime stability over democratic accountability, with state institutions' bias rendering official tallies presumptively unreliable absent transparent verification.

Venezuela

's presidential elections in 2018 and 2024 exemplify disputes in a hybrid authoritarian system where the ruling United Socialist Party maintains control over key institutions, including the National Electoral Council (CNE), whose rectors are appointed through processes dominated by the pro-government . This structure has enabled allegations of systemic manipulation, including disqualification of opposition candidates, restrictions on voting abroad, and opacity in result tabulation, undermining as assessed by international standards. The May 20, 2018, election occurred amid and , with most major opposition parties boycotting due to prior arbitrary disqualifications and lack of guarantees for fairness. Official CNE results reported a turnout of 46.1% and Maduro receiving 6,248,864 votes (67.8%), against Henri Falcón's 1,146,048 (12.6%), though Falcón alleged including vote-buying and tampering. The process lacked credible international observers, prompting non-recognition by entities such as the , , and , who cited violations of democratic norms including coerced participation and absence of competitive conditions. The July 28, 2024, election drew record opposition turnout despite intimidation, with primary challenger barred from running, leading to Edmundo González as the candidate. Opposition volunteers collected digital copies of tally sheets () from over 83% of polling stations, revealing González with roughly 67% of votes (6.3 million) to Maduro's 30% (2.8 million), consistent with exit polls and independent audits validating the documents' authenticity. In contrast, the CNE declared Maduro the winner with 51.2% after claiming to tally 80% of votes but withheld disaggregated results, machine logs, or witness access, breaching Venezuelan law and the Agreement's transparency commitments. International observers, including the Carter Center, deemed the 2024 vote undemocratic due to impartiality failures, arbitrary arrests of campaigners, and post-election violence that killed at least 27 protesters while detaining over 2,000. The and several Latin American nations recognized González's victory based on tally evidence, while Maduro's regime, backed by allies like and , rejected audits and escalated repression, including targeting opposition leaders. This pattern reflects causal dynamics of power consolidation, where control over electoral bodies enables outcome determination irrespective of voter intent, eroding public trust and prompting mass exceeding 7 million since 2015.

Other Notable Instances

In Iran's on June 12, incumbent was officially declared the winner with 62.6% of the vote against opposition candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi's 33.8%. Mousavi and other challengers immediately contested the results, alleging massive including ballot stuffing and irregularities in vote counting, sparking the Green Movement protests that drew millions to the streets of and other cities. The regime responded with severe crackdowns, including extra-judicial killings, , and arrests of thousands, as documented by human rights organizations, highlighting the election's role in exposing deep fissures in Iran's hybrid theocratic-authoritarian system. Myanmar's 2020 general election on November 8 saw the () secure a , winning 396 of 476 contested parliamentary seats amid high turnout despite criticisms of voter suppression against Rohingya minorities. The military, which controls 25% of seats by appointment, alleged widespread fraud without providing verifiable evidence, claims contradicted by international observers who found no substantiation for systemic irregularities. This dispute culminated in the February 1, 2021, , leading to ongoing and the junta's consolidation of power in Myanmar's military-dominated . Nicaragua's 2021 presidential election on November 7 resulted in securing 75.87% of the vote for a fourth term, following the pre-election arrest of over 40 opposition figures and the disqualification of rivals on charges of and . International observers, including the U.S. and EU, condemned the process as lacking freedom and fairness due to state control over media, electoral authorities, and judiciary, underscoring Ortega's shift toward full in the formerly .

Consequences and Broader Impacts

Immediate Political and Social Effects

Disputed elections often provoke immediate legal challenges, including lawsuits contesting vote counts, certification processes, and procedural irregularities, which can delay power transitions and overburden courts. Empirical analyses indicate that such disputes heighten perceptions of illegitimacy among losing partisans, with studies post-2020 election showing divergent beliefs in outcome fairness between Democrats and Republicans, exacerbating institutional distrust. In hybrid and authoritarian contexts, incumbents facing credible fraud allegations may deploy state security forces to suppress opposition, as evidenced by patterns where governments resort to post-election violence against protesters to consolidate power. Socially, these disputes trigger widespread protests and civil unrest, particularly when outcomes appear manipulated, with one in five national elections since involving significant or that disrupts public order. Research on cases reveals that internationally condemned disputed elections correlate with elevated post-election , as opposition mobilizes against perceived , leading to clashes that result in casualties and . Affective intensifies rapidly, fostering animosity that persists beyond the vote, as voters prioritize opposition to rivals over policy, evident in surveys where and fraud claims amplify partisan divides. In democratic settings, this manifests as heightened , including family and community rifts, alongside symptoms akin to post-traumatic among engaged voters exposed to contested results. Low-quality elections, marked by disputes over integrity, elevate risks of immediate instability, including stalled and economic disruptions from strikes or , though effects vary by regime type—democracies often channel discontent through institutions, while weaker systems see outright . Overall, these effects undermine short-term cohesion, with empirical linking fraud perceptions to reduced electoral faith and increased readiness for extra-institutional action.

Long-Term Effects on Institutions and Trust

Disputed elections frequently precipitate a prolonged decline in toward core democratic institutions, including electoral commissions and judiciaries, as empirical analyses indicate that perceptions of correlate with reduced satisfaction with democratic over subsequent election cycles. A cross-national examining electoral found that high levels of are associated with persistently lower levels of democratic satisfaction, with effects persisting beyond immediate post-election periods due to reinforced about institutional . In hybrid regimes, this erosion manifests as diminished legitimacy, where incumbents' reliance on disputed outcomes to consolidate power undermines the perceived independence of oversight bodies, fostering a cycle of cynicism that discourages . In , the 2020 presidential election dispute, marked by widespread allegations of ballot stuffing and suppression of opposition, triggered mass protests that exposed deep institutional frailties, leading to a long-term consolidation of authoritarian control under President and a sharp decline in trust metrics; international assessments noted that by 2023, democratic had intensified, with public faith in electoral processes nearing negligible levels amid ongoing repression. This outcome exemplifies how unresolved disputes enable executive overreach, eroding judicial and legislative autonomy, as evidenced by the regime's subsequent purge of and , which further alienated segments of the population and prompted significant of skilled professionals, weakening state institutions' capacity for reform. Venezuela's recurrent election disputes, particularly the 2018 and 2024 presidential contests, have similarly entrenched institutional distrust, with the Electoral Council's perceived bias contributing to opposition abstention and international non-recognition by over 50 countries in 2018, fostering a legitimacy deficit that persists in economic isolation and governance paralysis. Post-dispute crackdowns, including enforced disappearances and political controls documented in 2024-2025, have compounded this by hollowing out legislative functions, as the regime's dominance reduced pluralism and incentivized loyalty over competence in bureaucratic appointments, per analyses. In , managed elections since the early , often disputed for opposition exclusion and control, have normalized institutional capture, resulting in a trajectory where public trust in bodies has decoupled from electoral outcomes, prioritizing stability over ; this has manifested in suppressed and alternative loyalty mechanisms, as scholarly accounts trace from Putin's 2000 consolidation to enduring democratic deficits. Across these cases, causal patterns reveal that without credible mechanisms, disputes amplify , elevating risks of future manipulations and diminishing incentives for institutional self-correction, as global indices like those from the International IDEA highlight sustained legitimacy crises in affected polities.

Economic and Geopolitical Ramifications

Disputed elections often trigger economic instability through heightened , which elevates market volatility and deters . In general elections, pre-vote correlates with increased fluctuations, as investors anticipate policy disruptions or regime entrenchment that could alter trade, fiscal, or regulatory environments. This effect intensifies in cases of , where accelerates due to fears of prolonged unrest or retaliatory measures. International sanctions frequently exacerbate these pressures when Western governments reject disputed outcomes as illegitimate. Following Belarus's 2020 , widely contested for fraud, the and imposed targeted sanctions on regime officials, entities, and sectors like potash exports, exposing the economy's vulnerabilities in state-controlled industries and export reliance on . These measures, including asset freezes and trade restrictions, are estimated to have caused cumulative macroeconomic losses of 6% to 10% of GDP over two years if fully enforced. Similarly, after Venezuela's 2018 presidential vote—boycotted by opposition and marred by irregularities—the U.S. expanded sanctions barring access to financial markets and debt purchases, contributing to a reported state revenue loss of $17 billion to $33 billion amid preexisting and oil dependency. Geopolitically, disputed elections erode a regime's international legitimacy, prompting non-recognition by democratic states and fostering isolation from institutions. In , post-2020 sanctions aligned with broader efforts to counter Lukashenko's alignment with , including support for Moscow's invasion, which further restricted EU trade and deepened Minsk's economic pivot toward Eurasian autocracies. Venezuela's repeated disputes, including 2018, led to hemispheric divisions, with the U.S. and allies withholding recognition of Maduro while , , and provided loans and military aid, solidifying a counter- bloc. 's own contested elections, such as the 2024 presidential vote amid war suppression, have compounded preexisting sanctions, limiting technology imports and accelerating de-dollarization ties with partners, though failing to fully isolate due to energy leverage. Such ramifications often cascade into proxy realignments, where sanctioned regimes exchange sovereignty concessions for support from revisionist powers, undermining regional stability. For instance, Belarus's post-election crackdown and troop hosting strained NATO's eastern flank, while Venezuela's disputes facilitated Iranian oil ventures and bases, heightening U.S. security concerns in the . These dynamics prioritize short-term survival over democratic norms, perpetuating cycles of authoritarian entrenchment and global fragmentation.

Prevention and Mitigation Strategies

Electoral Security Enhancements

Following disputed elections, jurisdictions have increasingly adopted technical and procedural safeguards to verify voter eligibility, ensure accurate vote recording, and enable post-election validation, thereby minimizing grounds for credible challenges. These enhancements prioritize systems that produce auditable evidence resistant to alteration, drawing from recommendations by election experts who emphasize the causal link between verifiable and reduced manipulation risks. For instance, the transition to hand-marked paper ballots or ballot-marking devices that produce voter-verifiable paper audit trails (VVPAT) allows direct inspection of individual votes, contrasting with direct-recording (DRE) machines lacking such trails, which have been shown vulnerable to undetectable software errors or tampering in controlled tests. Risk-limiting audits (RLAs) provide a probabilistic post-election check by statistically sampling paper ballots to confirm reported results with a user-defined risk limit, often set at 5% or 10%, meaning the chance of certifying an incorrect outcome is bounded accordingly. Adopted in states like and following 2020 disputes, RLAs have demonstrated efficacy in detecting discrepancies; for example, 's 2020 RLA examined over 5,000 ballots and upheld the certified totals within the 5% risk limit. Unlike fixed-percentage audits, RLAs scale sample size dynamically based on reported margins, stopping early if results align, which enhances efficiency without compromising statistical rigor. Voter identification requirements, such as photo ID mandates, serve to authenticate participants at polling stations, addressing impersonation that undermines outcome legitimacy in close contests. Empirical analyses indicate these laws correlate with higher public perceptions of electoral fairness, as they enforce a basic identity-vote linkage absent in systems relying solely on signature matching, which can be subjective and error-prone. Implementation often includes free ID issuance to mitigate access barriers, with data from states like showing no significant turnout suppression when paired with . Cybersecurity protocols further fortify infrastructure by isolating systems from the and enforcing for administrative access, as outlined in federal guidelines that have prevented breaches in jurisdictions applying them rigorously. Bipartisan poll watcher access and chain-of-custody logs for ballots and equipment provide procedural , enabling real-time and forensic review if anomalies arise. Collectively, these measures, when layered, create interlocking verifiability that causal analysis links to fewer post-election legal challenges, as evidenced by jurisdictions with comprehensive adoption experiencing 20-30% fewer recounts per election cycle compared to peers without them.

Transparency and Accountability Reforms

Risk-limiting audits (RLAs) represent a statistically grounded for verifying outcomes by randomly sampling paper ballots to confirm reported results with a predefined risk limit, typically set at 5-10%, ensuring that an incorrect outcome is rejected with high probability. Developed through academic and election official collaboration, RLAs have been piloted in states like since 2017 and adopted in 10 states by 2024, providing empirical assurance against tabulation errors without full manual recounts. Unlike fixed-percentage audits, RLAs adapt sample size based on outcome margins, stopping early if results align, which shows bolsters public confidence by addressing causal pathways from machine failures to disputed tallies. Voter-verifiable paper ballots or trails are foundational to these reforms, as electronic-only systems lack durable records for independent verification, enabling disputes over unprovable manipulations. By 2024, 47 U.S. states required paper records for at least some ballots, reducing reliance on direct-recording (DRE) machines prone to software vulnerabilities without physical backups. Empirical studies indicate that paper-based systems facilitate transparent recounts, as seen in Georgia's 2020 hand confirming machine tallies, countering claims of systemic . Accountability is enhanced through bipartisan or oversight mechanisms, such as multi-party observer and chain-of-custody protocols for ballots and . Reforms like the Election Results Act, introduced in April 2025, mandate detailed reporting of vote counts and discrepancies to preempt subversion narratives. Strict , implemented in 36 states by 2024, verify eligibility at polling places, minimizing post-election challenges over impersonation, though studies show minimal impact on turnout when free IDs are provided. These measures, rooted in first-principles of verifiable and custody, address causal roots of disputes like untraceable absentee ballots, with data from audited elections demonstrating fewer legal contests. Legal mandates for pre- and post-election testing of voting equipment, coupled with public disclosure of where feasible, further institutionalize transparency. International standards from organizations like the Carter Center endorse such protocols, noting their role in resolving disputes in contested polls by providing auditable artifacts over opaque digital logs. While implementation varies, jurisdictions with comprehensive reforms, including RLAs and paper trails, report sustained trust metrics, as evidenced by lower litigation rates in verified outcomes.

Legal and Constitutional Adjustments

The Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022, enacted as Division P of the , represented a significant statutory adjustment to the U.S. federal election certification process, directly addressing ambiguities exploited in the 2020 presidential election disputes. It clarified that the vice president's role during the of to count electoral votes is purely ministerial and ceremonial, eliminating any unilateral discretion to reject votes. Objections to state electoral votes now require support from one-fifth of both the and , up from a simple majority of a in either body under prior , and states are barred from submitting alternate slates of electors after official certification deadlines. These provisions aimed to reduce opportunities for interference in finalizing results, with implementation tied to the 2024 election cycle. State-level legal reforms have proliferated since , often focusing on verification protocols to preempt fraud claims that fuel disputes. For instance, over 20 states enacted laws mandating voter ID requirements, audit procedures, or restrictions on ballot drop boxes and extended curing periods for mail-in ballots, with Georgia's 2021 Election Integrity Act exemplifying comprehensive changes including mandatory risk-limiting audits and expedited recounts. Such measures, justified by empirical reviews of 2020 irregularities like signature mismatches in some jurisdictions, seek to build verifiable chains of custody for ballots, though critics argue they may suppress turnout without proportionally reducing disputes. In contrast, fewer expansions of access occurred, reflecting a post-dispute emphasis on security over convenience. Constitutional adjustments remain rare due to ratification hurdles, but targeted amendments have addressed specific vulnerabilities. Wisconsin's proposed 2025 voter constitutional amendment, set for ballot on , codifies photo ID requirements for absentee ballots to insulate against legislative overrides, drawing from data showing higher dispute rates in states lacking such mandates. Federally, bills like the Constitutional Election Integrity Act of 2023 sought to enshrine uniform standards for elector qualifications and dispute timelines but stalled in committee. Internationally, post-dispute reforms have included Kenya's 2010 empowering the to nullify results based on procedural failures, as applied in 2017, which shortened resolution timelines to 14 days and mandated transparent technology audits to mitigate rigging allegations. These changes prioritize judicial finality over political negotiation, correlating with fewer protracted crises in subsequent cycles. In contexts like and , where 2020 disputes prompted no meaningful legal overhauls, entrenched regimes instead reinforced executive control over electoral bodies, underscoring that adjustments require ; without it, reforms devolve into tools for entrenchment rather than prevention. Empirical analysis indicates that effective adjustments hinge on preemptive codification of thresholds and , as delays in clarification exacerbate causal chains leading to violence or non-recognition.

References

  1. [1]
    6. Disputed Elections Methodology - International IDEA
    We investigate elections that have been the subject of political or legal disputes, defined here as elections marked by (a) calls for or actual boycotts of an ...Missing: scholarly definition
  2. [2]
    [PDF] Handbook for the Observation of Election Dispute Resolution - OSCE
    EDR is the resolution of all disputes relating to the electoral process, whether handled by the election administration, judiciary, law enforcement or any other ...
  3. [3]
    Disputed Elections in Presidential Democracies: Contexts of ...
    I first review the main findings on election disputes. I subsequently develop a theory of electoral blackmail to identify political conditions entailing the ...Missing: definition | Show results with:definition
  4. [4]
    5. What We Know About Disputed Elections - International IDEA
    Electoral integrity can be understood to be based on two key principles: the credibility of the entire electoral cycle and the legitimacy of a set of global ...
  5. [5]
    Losing predicts perceptions that elections were decided by fraud ...
    These results suggest that party is the dominant factor in perceptions of election legitimacy, trumping losing vote margin and candidate race.
  6. [6]
    Party performance explains disagreement between politicians and ...
    Aug 23, 2017 · After a political party has suffered a major electoral defeat, there is often a politician from that party who complains about the party's ...
  7. [7]
    Shaping Democratic Practice and the Causes of Electoral Fraud
    Feb 1, 2009 · ... elections were disputed as a result of “election misconduct.” The empirical analysis demonstrates that electoral fraud's incidence is ...
  8. [8]
    [PDF] Potter Committee Investigation of the Disputed Election of 1876
    0N Saturday, March 3, 1877, Chief Justice Morrison B. Waite, in a private ceremony at the White House, swore into office. Rutherford Birchard Hayes of Ohio ...
  9. [9]
    [PDF] Learning the Wrong Lesson From The Hayes-Tilden Dispute
    The 1876 Hayes-Tilden election, which required an Electoral. Commission to resolve disputes about presidential electors, was the most severe manifestation of ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  10. [10]
    The costs of electoral fraud: establishing the link between electoral ...
    However, less research has attempted to link objective measurements of electoral integrity on voters' attitudes about the democratic process. Drawing on data ...
  11. [11]
    Full article: Electoral fraud and the paradox of political competition
    Mar 16, 2020 · Using novel pre-election polling data for 109 presidential elections around the world between 1996 and 2016, results suggest that ex ante ...
  12. [12]
    [PDF] Political Parties and Post-Election Disputes - OAPEN Library
    Linz and Stepan argued that “a democratic transition is complete when agreement has been reached about political procedures to produce elected government” (Linz ...<|separator|>
  13. [13]
    Electoral Dispute Resolution - ACE
    The “System for the Resolution of Electoral Disputes” refers to the system of appeals through which every electoral action or procedure can be legally ...
  14. [14]
    [PDF] Resolving Election Disputes - The Carter Center
    Without the protection of the law, all rights associated with elections are of little value. Furthermore, no just and credible election dispute resolution ...
  15. [15]
    What Is Electoral and Voter Fraud? - FindLaw
    Apr 23, 2024 · Examples of Electoral Fraud Cases · Voter Registration Card Fraud · Forged Signatures on Ballot Initiative · Vote Buying · Election Official Fraud.Missing: disputed | Show results with:disputed
  16. [16]
    No evidence for systematic voter fraud: A guide to statistical claims ...
    After the 2020 US presidential election Donald Trump refused to concede, alleging widespread and unparalleled voter fraud.
  17. [17]
    Voter Fraud | The Heritage Foundation
    Key Takeaways · Impersonation fraud at the polls: · False registrations: · Duplicate voting: · Fraudulent use of absentee ballots: · Buying votes: · Illegal “ ...
  18. [18]
    Will the election be contested or uncontested? - Electoral Commission
    Jan 11, 2024 · If the election is uncontested, the (A)RO will declare the one validly nominated candidate to be elected as soon as possible and will give public notice.
  19. [19]
    ELECTORAL FRAUD: Causes, Types, and Consequences
    Abstract This article reviews research on electoral fraud—clandestine and illegal efforts to shape election results. Only a handful of works classify ...Missing: worldwide | Show results with:worldwide<|control11|><|separator|>
  20. [20]
    [PDF] Assessing Electoral Fraud in New Democracies
    Electoral fraud is clearly the gravest form of electoral malpractice, and should be combated overtly and publicly by all those with a stake in democratic ...
  21. [21]
    Belarus poll workers describe fraud in Aug. 9 election | AP News
    Aug 31, 2020 · The Associated Press interviewed election workers who said they saw ballot fraud or were pressured to falsify results in favor of Lukashenko. In ...
  22. [22]
    Fraudulent presidential election in Belarus: Joint statement to the ...
    Sep 1, 2022 · Canadian Ambassador Jocelyn Kinnear delivers a joint statement to mark the second anniversary of the fraudulent presidential election in ...
  23. [23]
    Evidence shows Venezuela's election was stolen – but will Maduro ...
    Aug 6, 2024 · ... electoral fraud in Latin America's history”. Independent observers agree that this election was never going to be fair and free. From the ...
  24. [24]
    Treasury Targets Venezuelan Officials Aligned with Nicolas Maduro ...
    Sep 12, 2024 · The Treasury Department is targeting key officials involved in Maduro's fraudulent and illegitimate claims of victory and his brutal crackdown on free ...
  25. [25]
    US imposes sanctions on Maduro allies over 'illegitimate' election ...
    Sep 12, 2024 · ... voter fraud. Instead, the US said there was “overwhelming evidence” that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez won the presidential race ...
  26. [26]
    Categories of Election Fraud | The Heritage Foundation
    Jul 28, 2025 · Types of Voter Fraud · Fraudulent Use of Absentee Ballots · Ineligible Voting · Impersonation Fraud at the Polls · Buying Votes · Ballot Petition ...Missing: allegations | Show results with:allegations
  27. [27]
    How widespread is election fraud in the United States? Not very
    Oct 28, 2024 · Voter fraud is minuscule in US elections. Share of reported cases of fraud over the past 13 to 38 years is less than 1%.Missing: disputed | Show results with:disputed
  28. [28]
    Vote buying in nineteenth century US elections | Social Logic
    Anecdotes about vote buying and electoral fraud, particularly in the mid to late nineteenth century, are an inescapable, and colorful, part of American ...
  29. [29]
    [PDF] ANALYSIS - HERitAGE FRAUd DAtAbASE
    But a close review of the database reveals that it substantially inflates and exaggerates the occurrence of voter fraud. Hans von Spakovsky, one of the ...
  30. [30]
    Widespread election fraud claims by Republicans don't match the ...
    Nov 22, 2023 · Although there has been no new evidence or litigation regarding election fraud in the 2020 election, many people continue to believe that the 2020 election was ...Missing: disputed | Show results with:disputed
  31. [31]
    Exhaustive fact check finds little evidence of voter fraud, but 2020's ...
    Dec 17, 2021 · AP Reporters went looking for cases of voter fraud in six states that Trump has challenged, and they found fewer than 475 potential ...
  32. [32]
    Vote early and vote often? Detecting electoral fraud from the timing ...
    In this paper, we focus on a specific form of fraud, repeat voting, under which voters cast multiple ballots in the same election. Evidence from U.S. ...
  33. [33]
    [PDF] RECOMMENDATIONS & CASE STUDIES
    The Executive Order lists the election and voting issues the Commission is charged with considering, including: polling place management and operations; ...
  34. [34]
    How Faulty and Outdated Voting Machines Contributed to Voter ...
    Nov 7, 2012 · Instead now there are two main voting systems: optical scan paper ballot systems and direct recording electronic systems (DREs). Very few ...
  35. [35]
    [PDF] Chain of Custody Best Practices
    Jul 12, 2021 · This report outlines items election officials should consider when developing or revising their chain of custody procedures for physical ...Missing: issues | Show results with:issues
  36. [36]
    Election Security Spotlight – Chain of Custody is Crucial for Election ...
    Chain of custody refers to the process or paper trail documenting the control or transfer of equipment and materials, such as voting machines or ballots.
  37. [37]
    Some Machines Are Flipping Votes, But That Doesn't Mean They're ...
    Oct 26, 2016 · Vote flipping. The stories and conspiracy theories have begun. In every recent election, there have been reports of voters pressing one ...
  38. [38]
    Vote Flipping Claims Underline Urgent Need to Fix Voting Machines
    Oct 24, 2018 · Allegations that votes cast in the Georgia governor's race for Democrat Stacey Abrams instead went to Republican Brian Kemp highlight the ...<|separator|>
  39. [39]
    [PDF] ELECTION INTEGRITY AND TECHNOLOGY: VULNERABILITIES ...
    However, the “back end” election management software used to manage voter registration, provision voting machines, and tally voted are at least equally critical ...
  40. [40]
    5 Ensuring the Integrity of Elections | Securing the Vote
    altering or destroying evidence necessary to audit and verify the correct reporting of election results. There are many ways to prevent the casting of votes.
  41. [41]
    Voting Machines at Risk in 2022 | Brennan Center for Justice
    Mar 1, 2022 · A joint analysis from the Brennan Center and Verified Voting finds that replacing aging voting equipment will cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
  42. [42]
    Summary of the Problem with Electronic Voting
    The 2000 presidential election and the consequential actions of Congress and the states are dramatically changing the American election process.
  43. [43]
    Suspicious Minds: Unexpected Election Outcomes, Perceived ... - NIH
    Justwan and Williamson (2022) found that exposure to election fraud claims was convincing enough to reduce Trump voters' faith in electoral fairness. As Eggers, ...
  44. [44]
    Motivated reasoning: Election integrity beliefs, outcome acceptance ...
    The 2020 US Presidential Election required voters to not only form opinions of leading candidates, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, but also to make judgments about ...
  45. [45]
    U.S. Media Polarization and the 2020 Election: A Nation Divided
    Jan 24, 2020 · Democrats' levels of trust and distrust in media sources have changed considerably less than Republicans' during this time span. Even accounting ...
  46. [46]
    Negativity bias in the spread of voter fraud conspiracy theory tweets ...
    Sep 14, 2023 · During the 2020 US presidential election, conspiracy theories about large-scale voter fraud were widely circulated on social media platforms ...
  47. [47]
    How tech platforms fuel U.S. political polarization and what ...
    Sep 27, 2021 · Widespread social media use has fueled the fire of extreme polarization, which, in turn, has contributed to the erosion of trust in democratic ...
  48. [48]
    Political polarization and the electoral effects of media bias
    By contrast, voters who get most of their election news from CNN favor Kerry over Bush, by 67%–26%.” The fact that liberals and conservatives have very ...
  49. [49]
    The role of (social) media in political polarization: a systematic review
    Sep 21, 2021 · Rising political polarization is, in part, attributed to the fragmentation of news media and the spread of misinformation on social media.
  50. [50]
    UC Berkeley scholars say the economy, sexism and conspiracies ...
    Nov 6, 2024 · Shortly before he was declared the winner of the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump arrived at an election night watch party at the Palm ...
  51. [51]
    Polarization, Democracy, and Political Violence in the United States
    Sep 5, 2023 · The abolishment of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987 may have caused polarization by allowing for greater media partisanship and self-selection ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  52. [52]
    [PDF] REPORT ON ELECTION DISPUTE RESOLUTION Approved by the ...
    Jun 15, 2020 · This means that electoral disputes can derive from the various phases of an electoral process, broadly understood. This includes mainly the ...
  53. [53]
    Unpacking the Legal Challenges to Trump's Ballot Eligibility
    Feb 6, 2024 · UPDATE: On March 4, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Colorado Supreme Court's decision excluding Donald Trump from the ballot in ...
  54. [54]
    Rules for Challenging Voter Eligibility Vary Across the States
    Sep 27, 2024 · Almost every state has laws concerning voter challenges to ensure elections remain fair and guarantee that only eligible voters cast ballots.
  55. [55]
    Unraveling the rise of mass voter challenges - Protect Democracy
    Jun 17, 2024 · Mass challenges can have real impacts on the election process: first, by potentially disenfranchising or deterring eligible voters who are the targets of ...
  56. [56]
    [PDF] Voter Challengers - Brennan Center for Justice
    Private citizens should not be allowed to challenge voters at the polls on Election Day. Challenges should only be permitted before Election Day to ensure that ...
  57. [57]
    Does pre-election legal flurry mean post-election chaos in U.S.? - CBC
    Oct 18, 2024 · According to one Democratic Party official, even before the Nov. 5 vote, there has already been more election-related litigation in 2024 ...
  58. [58]
    What Judges Should Know About Election Law - Judicature
    If recent trends continue, the 2024 election promises a similar flood of litigation in state and federal courts. How can judges prepare for the coming ...
  59. [59]
    [PDF] Guide to Electoral Dispute Resolution - The Carter Center
    Apr 4, 2008 · With respect to technical assistance, the Center is currently working with other election observation organizations on a democratic election ...
  60. [60]
    None
    ### Summary of Introduction to Alternative Dispute Resolution in Elections
  61. [61]
    Contested Election Deadlines
    When a candidate or campaign is not satisfied that an election was conducted correctly, they can contest the outcome. States can specify a date, ...
  62. [62]
    Challenging Results — - ACE Electoral Knowledge Network
    A mechanism for challenging results is desirable at every stage of the vote counting process. This helps to ensure that the election process is transparent.
  63. [63]
    [PDF] Election Contests and Disputes - GovInfo
    In General. Contests for seats in the House are governed by the Federal Contested. Elections Act. 2 USC §§381 et seq. This statute, enacted in 1969, ...
  64. [64]
    The Federal Contested Election Act: Overview and Recent Contests ...
    Nov 2, 2022 · FCEA contests rarely change election results, as doing so typically requires the House to overturn a state-certified election result. The FCEA ...Missing: post- definition
  65. [65]
    Post-Election Audits | MIT Election Lab
    Sep 4, 2024 · Post-election audits are critical for election security and voter confidence in contests large and small, national and local. Consequently, most ...
  66. [66]
    Electoral Dispute Resolution - Election Standards | The Carter Center
    The credibility of the electoral process is determined to a large degree by the capacity of the state to effectively resolve electoral disputes.
  67. [67]
    [PDF] Resolving Election Disputes - OSCE
    Generic Guidelines for Election Dispute Resolution. A. General Principles. B. Hierarchical Appellate Procedure. C. Accessibility and Transparency.
  68. [68]
    Procedures for Contested Election Cases in the House of ...
    Oct 18, 2016 · In modern practice, the Federal Contested Elections Act of 1969 (FCEA) is the primary method by which a congressional election is contested in ...
  69. [69]
    2020 Election Litigation: The Courts Held - Judicature
    Numerous cases were filed in state and federal courts by the Trump campaign, challenging the results of the election in different states and on a variety of ...Missing: disputes examples
  70. [70]
    Alternative Dispute Resolution in Elections: A Practitioner Brief | IFES
    Apr 4, 2023 · The use of mediation or conciliation for certain types of pre-election disputes can lead to greater community engagement (including of non- ...
  71. [71]
    [PDF] Electoral Justice: - International IDEA
    A political culture that promotes lawful behaviour and civic respect for democratic norms helps to minimize the potential for electoral disputes, leaving only ...
  72. [72]
    Post-Election Audits - National Conference of State Legislatures
    A post-election tabulation audit—often known as a post-election audit or PEA—checks that the equipment and procedures used to count votes during an election ...
  73. [73]
    Recounts - Minnesota Secretary Of State
    A recount is a process to precisely determine the vote count between two candidates whose vote margin is extremely close. During a recount, election officials ...
  74. [74]
    [PDF] CONDUCTING A RECOUNT - U.S. Election Assistance Commission
    A recount provides an op- portunity for an election official to ensure that all the ballots cast are counted accurately and that the correct candidate or ballot ...
  75. [75]
    An analysis of statewide election recounts, 2000-2023 - FairVote
    Oct 28, 2024 · States should require automatic recounts in close races: When the margin is very close, a recount should occur automatically without a candidate ...
  76. [76]
    Audits and Recounts in 2024: What's the Difference? - Verified Voting
    Oct 16, 2024 · Audits and recounts are two different post-election processes, but both are designed to build confidence in our elections—they help demonstrate ...Missing: methods | Show results with:methods
  77. [77]
    Risk-Limiting Audits - Verified Voting
    A risk-limiting audit (RLA) checks a random sample of voter-verifiable paper ballots, giving strong evidence to support the reported election results.
  78. [78]
    Risk-Limiting Audits - National Conference of State Legislatures
    Risk-limiting audits are one version of a postelection audit, and a version that is growing in interest among election officials and legislators.What Are Risk-Limiting Audits? · Components of an RLA · Types of RLAs
  79. [79]
    [PDF] A Gentle Introduction to Risk-Limiting Audits
    For instance, under California law, each county counts the votes in 1 percent of precincts; each cluster com- prises the ballots cast in one precinct. The ...
  80. [80]
    Auditing Election Results - Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    After every primary and general election in Pennsylvania, counties conduct two different types of audits to ensure the reported election outcomes are ...
  81. [81]
    [PDF] Principles and Best Practices for Post-Election Tabulation Audits
    They were developed by an ad hoc group including former election officials, public advocates, computer scientists, statisticians, and political scientists. This ...
  82. [82]
    Audits vs. Recounts: What's the Difference? - Verified Voting
    Nov 18, 2020 · An audit is a routine part of the post-election process designed to ensure systems worked as expected. A recount is performed in response to something that may ...Missing: disputed | Show results with:disputed
  83. [83]
    Methodology - OSCE
    ... election observation methodology covers all the elements necessary for a democratic electoral process. The OSCE's participating States recognize that an ...
  84. [84]
    EU Election Observation Missions - EEAS - European Union
    The EU is a globally recognised and credible actor in international election observation. Since 2000, the EU has deployed over 180 Election Observation ...
  85. [85]
    Democracy Program - The Carter Center
    Observing Elections. Impartial, credible election observers play a key role in shaping perceptions about the quality and legitimacy of electoral processes.Program Staff · Elections Observed · Nonpartisan Election · U.S. Elections
  86. [86]
    [PDF] Election Observation Handbook - OSCE
    This handbook sets out the ODIHR's observation methodology and serves as a reference for all ODIHR election observers.1 It informs the OSCE community at large, ...
  87. [87]
    Bias in the eye of beholder? 25 years of election monitoring in Europe
    Jan 3, 2022 · We show that, overall, the OSCE monitoring reports are highly correlated and congruent with expert assessments. More importantly, the level of ...
  88. [88]
    [PDF] The Problem of Selection Bias in OSCE Election Observation ...
    This article addresses one such area – the issue of the selection of polling stations that are visited by observers. 1 E.g. Max Bader, 'The Challenges of OSCE ...<|separator|>
  89. [89]
    International election monitors can help boost people's trust in the ...
    Nov 1, 2024 · While the US supports nonpartisan election observers in other countries, the practice has a low profile in this country.
  90. [90]
    https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03050629.2025.2545319
  91. [91]
    [PDF] election observers and their biases - Sites@Duke Express
    Carothers's assessment of the future viability of election observation clearly has held true. Today election monitoring is widely practiced by organizations all ...
  92. [92]
    [PDF] The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Rethinking Election Monitoring
    But when some politicians are then able to use monitors' statements to legitimize manipulated elections, is election monitoring doing more harm than good? This ...
  93. [93]
    Belarus: Joint Statement by the EU, the US, Canada and the UK on ...
    Aug 9, 2024 · Four years on from the fraudulent 2020 presidential election and the appalling human rights crackdown in Belarus, the European Union, ...
  94. [94]
    EU sanctions against Belarus - Consilium
    The EU has imposed sanctions in response to human rights abuses in Belarus and to Belaru's support for Russia's military aggression against Ukraine.
  95. [95]
    The International Approach to Kenya's 2008 Post-Election Crisis
    Jul 17, 2013 · This study draws upon evolving political economy and political settlement debates in its analysis and uses the Organisation for Economic Co- ...
  96. [96]
    Electoral Violence in Kenya | Council on Foreign Relations
    Introduction Kenya is at risk of repeating the violence that marred its 2007 presidential election, during which 1133 died and nearly 600000 were displaced ...
  97. [97]
    African mediation of the Kenyan post-2007 election crisis
    Oct 9, 2009 · At its January summit in 2008, the African Union (AU), then seized with the deteriorating situation in Kenya, 'expressed deep concern at the ...
  98. [98]
    [PDF] DIPLOMATIC INTERVENTIONS AND MITIGATING ELECTORAL ...
    Electoral violence is a recurring challenge in countries around the globe, one that can imperil US political, diplomatic, and economic interests. Over three- ...
  99. [99]
    Why observe elections? - UN.org.
    Election observation is a valuable tool for improving the quality of elections. Observers help build public confidence in the honesty of electoral processes.
  100. [100]
    Victor (IV) | Election Dispute, Papal Schism & Antipope - Britannica
    Victor (IV) was an antipope from 1159 to 1164 and the second antipope designated as Victor IV. He was the first of four antipopes established against Pope ...
  101. [101]
    Western Schism | History, Background, Popes, & Resolution
    Oct 10, 2025 · The double election had disastrous effects upon the church. The followers of the two popes were divided chiefly along national lines, and thus ...Missing: dispute | Show results with:dispute
  102. [102]
    https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany/The-Great-Interregnum
  103. [103]
    Disputed Election of 1876 | Miller Center
    In the presidential election of 1876, Democrat Samuel Tilden ran against Republican Rutherford B. Hayes. At the end of election day, no clear winner emerged.
  104. [104]
    The Contentious Election of 1876
    Tilden of New York, had carried a majority of the popular vote, and by the morning after the election he had 184 of the 185 electoral votes necessary for a ...
  105. [105]
    19th century elections - UK Parliament
    The 19th century saw a large amount of social and political change. In 1832 the first changes were made to the franchise and the Chartists campaigned for the ...Missing: major disputes Europe
  106. [106]
    https://oxfordre.com/latinamericanhistory/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780199366439.001.0001/acrefore-9780199366439-e-266
  107. [107]
    https://oxfordre.com/politics/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228637-e-627
  108. [108]
    Explaining the Color Revolutions - E-International Relations
    Jul 31, 2009 · Scholars witnessed a 'bulldozer revolution' in Serbia in 2000, a 'rose revolution' in Georgia in 2003, an 'orange revolution' in Ukraine in ...
  109. [109]
    Electoral Protests and Democratization Beyond the Color Revolutions
    The authors analyze all cases of electoral revolutions worldwide since 1991, distinguishing between failed and successful electoral revolutions.<|separator|>
  110. [110]
    [PDF] "Electoral Authoritarianism" in
    Electoral authoritarian regimes practice authoritarianism behind the institutional facades of representative democracy. They hold regular multiparty ...
  111. [111]
    Colour revolutions: Symbols of change | News - Al Jazeera
    Nov 13, 2005 · Protestors wearing the colour orange camped out in freezing temperatures to protest the parliamentary election results which returned Prime ...
  112. [112]
    The Mounting Damage of Flawed Elections and Armed Conflict
    Flawed elections and armed conflict contributed to the 18th year of democratic decline. But by drawing strength from diversity, protecting dissent, ...Regional Trends and Threats... · Acknowledgements · Policy Recommendations
  113. [113]
    From Consensus to Conflict - RAND
    Oct 1, 2020 · Key Findings · Foreign interference in U.S. politics has been a concern since the nation was founded. · Russian information efforts aim to elicit ...
  114. [114]
    Election Timing, Blatant Fraud, and the Legitimacy of Governance
    Jul 11, 2024 · By resorting to electoral fraud, incumbents bias election results with illegal measures such as violent and nonviolent intimidation of voters ...Missing: contemporary trends
  115. [115]
    Elections and Disinformation Are Colliding Like Never Before in 2024
    Jan 11, 2024 · At the same time, false narratives and conspiracy theories have evolved into an increasingly global menace. Baseless claims of election fraud ...
  116. [116]
    Post-Cold War autocratization: trends and patterns of regime change ...
    May 14, 2019 · While Table 1 has no empty cell, we did not find evidence of any transition from liberal democracy to electoral autocracy and from liberal ...
  117. [117]
    https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13569775.2025.2516438
  118. [118]
    The Constitution and contested presidential elections
    Oct 5, 2020 · The Electoral College is a uniquely American institution and no stranger to controversy. But legally contested presidential elections within ...
  119. [119]
    Electoral College & Indecisive Elections - History, Art & Archives
    The Constitution requires the House and Senate to count the Electoral College's ballots, and in the event of a tie, to select the President and Vice President, ...
  120. [120]
    Trump's judicial campaign to upend the 2020 election: A failure, but ...
    Nov 30, 2021 · When President Donald Trump tried to enlist the courts in his campaign to overturn the results of the election, state and federal judges applied ...Missing: United | Show results with:United
  121. [121]
    United States presidential election of 1876 - Disputed Vote, Electoral ...
    Oct 11, 2025 · On election day Tilden led Hayes by more than 260,000 votes and appeared on the verge of winning an electoral college majority, having swept ...
  122. [122]
    United States presidential election of 1876 | Tilden vs ... - Britannica
    United States presidential election of 1876 was a disputed American presidential election in which Republican Rutherford B. Hayes defeated Democrat Samuel ...
  123. [123]
    Disputed Election of 1876 - Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library ...
    Visit President Rutherford B. Hayes' wooded estate named Spiegel Grove, home of America's first presidential library. Tour the president's 31-room Victorian ...
  124. [124]
    Was the 1960 Presidential Election Stolen? The Case of Illinois - jstor
    vote fraud deprived Nixon of the electoral votes of Illinois and possibly enough other states to have changed the outcome of the election.4. Although the ...
  125. [125]
    The drama behind President Kennedy's 1960 election win
    Nov 7, 2017 · On November 8, 1960, John F. Kennedy was elected President of the United States in a bitter contest against the incumbent Vice President, ...
  126. [126]
    Worried About a Rigged Election? Here's One Way to Handle It
    Oct 27, 2016 · The 1960 presidential election was a dramatic occasion. Vice President Richard Nixon, the crusading anticommunist, was pitted against John F.
  127. [127]
    What the 1960 election can teach us about the peaceful transfer of ...
    Oct 6, 2024 · Presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon shake hands after their televised debate in Washington, DC, on October 7, 1960.
  128. [128]
    Bush v. Gore | 531 U.S. 98 (2000) - Justia U.S. Supreme Court Center
    Florida did not need to complete a recount in the 2000 presidential election because it could not be accomplished in a constitutionally valid way.
  129. [129]
    Bush v. Gore | Summary, Decision, Significance, & Facts - Britannica
    Oct 2, 2025 · Bush v. Gore, legal case in which the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a Florida Supreme Court's recount order of the state's presidential ...
  130. [130]
    On this day, Bush v. Gore settles 2000 presidential race
    Dec 12, 2023 · On December 12, 2000, the Supreme Court ended a Florida vote recount in the presidential election contest between George W. Bush and Al Gore.
  131. [131]
    The Florida Recount Of 2000: A Nightmare That Goes On Haunting
    Nov 12, 2018 · The weeks-long battle over "hanging chads" that ultimately landed the fate of the presidency in the U.S. Supreme Court, continues to cast a ...
  132. [132]
    [PDF] A Comprehensive Analysis of the 2020 Presidential Election and
    May 15, 2023 · Despite no evidence of fraud or official wrongdoing by. Wisconsin's election administrators, President Donald Trump and his allies made—and ...
  133. [133]
    1876 | The American Presidency Project
    Party, Nominees, Electoral Vote, Popular Vote. Presidential, Vice Presidential. Republican, election party winner, Rutherford B. Hayes, William Wheeler ...
  134. [134]
    Introduction - Presidential Election of 1876: A Resource Guide
    Sep 6, 2022 · Although Tilden won the popular vote, he fell one vote shy of winning an Electoral College majority, with the electoral votes of Louisiana, ...
  135. [135]
    1876 Electoral College Results | National Archives
    Jun 27, 2024 · President Rutherford B. Hayes [R] Main Opponent Samuel J. Tilden [D] Electoral Vote Winner: 185 Main Opponent: 184 Total/Majority: 369/185 ...
  136. [136]
    The Electoral Vote Count of the 1876 Presidential Election
    Both Tilden and Hayes electors submitted votes from these three states, each claiming victory in violent and confused elections. The Democratic controlled House ...
  137. [137]
    Nixon Didn't Fight on in 1960 Because Texas Law Didn't Allow Him to
    Oct 29, 2016 · Nixon conceded even though he thought, and had reason to think, that the election was being stolen from him by fraud in Illinois and Texas.
  138. [138]
    Did John F. Kennedy and the Democrats Steal the 1960 Election?
    more than a week ...
  139. [139]
    2000 | The American Presidency Project
    2000. Party, Nominees, Electoral Vote, Popular Vote. Presidential, Vice Presidential. Republican, election party winner, George W. Bush, Richard Cheney, 271 ...
  140. [140]
    US Presidential Election Florida Recount | Research Starters - EBSCO
    Bush and Democrat Al Gore. The election was marked by an extremely narrow margin in Florida, where Bush won by just 537 votes, triggering a recount due to the ...
  141. [141]
    I Covered Media's 2000 Election Night Fiasco. Please, Let's Not Do ...
    Nov 3, 2020 · I begged my bosses to stop the presses so we could avoid reporting a huge story that wasn't true: that Texas Gov. George W. Bush had won Florida, and the ...
  142. [142]
    THE 2000 ELECTIONS: THE MEDIA; A Flawed Call Adds to High ...
    Nov 8, 2000 · In an embarrassment of major proportions, the networks were forced to retract a projection that had given Vice President Al Gore the state of Florida early in ...
  143. [143]
    The 2000 Presidential Election – The Florida Recount - ADST.org
    It pitted Republican candidate George W. Bush, then governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush (1989–1993), and Democratic candidate Al ...<|separator|>
  144. [144]
    Bush v. Gore | Oyez
    Dec 11, 2000 · A case in which the Court found that the Florida government violated the Equal Protection Clause in ordering a partial recount of the 2000 ...
  145. [145]
    EXAMINING THE VOTE: THE OVERVIEW; Study of Disputed Florida ...
    Nov 12, 2001 · A comprehensive review of the uncounted Florida ballots from last year's presidential election reveals that George W. Bush would have won even if the United ...
  146. [146]
    [PDF] Review of the Voting Irregularities of the 2000 Presidential Election
    There were numerous reports of eligible voters being turned away and not allowed to vote and ineligible persons being allowed to cast ballots. Voter ...
  147. [147]
    [PDF] Statistical Issues in the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election in Florida
    Although Al Gore won the nationwide popular vote by over 500,000 votes, he lost the election, with Florida's Electoral College votes deciding for George W. Bush ...
  148. [148]
    The Evolution of Absentee/Mail Voting Laws, 2020 through 2022
    With information from public health officials, policymakers had to decide if COVID warranted changes to election processes and how to implement the changes ...
  149. [149]
    Mail Voting: What Has Changed in 2020 | Brennan Center for Justice
    Sep 17, 2020 · The five states that typically hold their elections principally by mail, as well as those in which most voters typically vote absentee, did not ...
  150. [150]
    2020 Electoral College Results | National Archives
    President Joseph R. Biden Jr. [D] Main Opponent Donald J. Trump [R] Electoral Vote Winner: 306 Main Opponent: 232 Total/Majority: 538/270 Vice President ...
  151. [151]
    [PDF] Official 2020 Presidential General Election Results - FEC
    Jan 28, 2021 · Page 1 of 12 -. STATE ELECTORAL. VOTES. ELECTORAL VOTES CAST FOR. JOSEPH R. BIDEN (D). ELECTORAL VOTES CAST FOR. DONALD J. TRUMP (R).
  152. [152]
    Fact-checking Trump's false claims about voter fraud and 'rigged ...
    Oct 5, 2024 · Former President Donald Trump's election-year message to his supporters is clear and often repeated: If Democrats win the November election, ...
  153. [153]
    Results of Lawsuits Regarding the 2020 Elections
    First, plaintiff's evidence failed to show fraud or misconduct—rather, it showed that the duplication process of the presidential election was 99.45% accurate, ...
  154. [154]
    Georgia hand tally of votes is complete, affirms Biden lead | AP News
    A hand tally of ballots cast in Georgia for the presidential race has been completed, and it affirms Democrat Joe Biden's ...
  155. [155]
    Georgia's Recount Confirms Biden's Lead; AP Declares Him State's ...
    Nov 19, 2020 · The full hand recount of the state's 5 million presidential votes resulted in a narrowing of Biden's lead over President Trump in Georgia.
  156. [156]
    Arizona Recount Of 2020 Election Ballots Found No Proof Of ... - NPR
    Sep 25, 2021 · A GOP-backed review of the 2020 presidential election in Arizona's largest county found no proof of former President Trump's lies about a stolen election.
  157. [157]
    Trump friendly Cyber Ninjas audit of Arizona votes still shows Biden ...
    Sep 24, 2021 · A draft report of the much-criticized, Republican-backed review of 2020 election results in Arizona's largest county has in fact confirmed ...
  158. [158]
    Disputing Trump, Barr says no widespread election fraud | AP News
    Jun 28, 2022 · Attorney General William Barr declared Tuesday the US Justice Department has uncovered no evidence of widespread voter fraud that could change the outcome of ...
  159. [159]
    Barr Says No Election Fraud Has Been Found By Federal Authorities
    Dec 1, 2020 · Attorney General William Barr said federal authorities have not uncovered any widespread fraud that might have affected the outcome of the 2020 election.
  160. [160]
    Joint Statement from Elections Infrastructure Government ... - CISA
    Nov 12, 2020 · The members of Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council (GCC) Executive Committee – Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security ...
  161. [161]
    [PDF] United States v. Donald J. Trump - Department of Justice
    Aug 1, 2023 · a. The Defendant and co-conspirators used knowingly false claims of election fraud to get state legislators and election officials to ...
  162. [162]
    Heritage Database | Election Fraud Map | The Heritage Foundation
    Jul 28, 2025 · The Heritage Foundation's Election Fraud Map is an interactive tool providing a sampling of proven instances of election fraud across the ...Explore the Data · Categories of Election Fraud · About · Interactive GraphicsMissing: disputed | Show results with:disputed
  163. [163]
    Key facts in Canada's robocalls controversy | CBC News
    Aug 14, 2014 · ... Elections Act Thursday for misleading robocalls made to voters in Guelph, Ont. during the 2011 federal election. Sona is the only person to ...
  164. [164]
    Austria's Top Court Throws Out Presidential Election Result, Orders ...
    Jul 1, 2016 · The Constitutional Court cited vote-counting irregularities in overturning the result, which is unprecedented in Austria's post-war history.
  165. [165]
    Controverted elections: how disputed results used to be part and ...
    Nov 13, 2020 · Disputed parliamentary election results – often taking months to resolve – were a frequent feature of English political culture before the reforms of the 19th ...
  166. [166]
    Robocalls made across Canada in 2011 won't bring charges - CBC
    Apr 24, 2014 · Misleading calls during last federal election didn't include intent to prevent voting, Elections Canada says.
  167. [167]
    The Australian Electoral Commission v. Johnston & Ors Wang v ...
    Parliamentary elections (Cth) – Senate – Court of Disputed Returns – Petitions disputing election – Election of six senators for State of Western Australia – ...Missing: examples | Show results with:examples
  168. [168]
    Experts welcome new elections in Austria – DW – 07/01/2016
    Jul 1, 2016 · Constitutional judges in Austria unanimously agreed that holding a repeat presidential election will strengthen trust in democracy.
  169. [169]
    Why was the election result disputed? - UK Parliament
    The legitimacy of Stracey's seat in Parliament was challenged due to accusations of bribery and treating of voters. Tillett, the liberal candidate for ...Missing: history | Show results with:history
  170. [170]
    CIA Covert Operations: The 1964 Overthrow of Cheddi Jagan in ...
    Apr 6, 2020 · President John F. Kennedy to approve a covert CIA political campaign to rig national elections in British Guiana, then a British colony but soon to be ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  171. [171]
    Why Are Papua New Guinea's Elections Plagued with Problems?
    Jan 11, 2023 · Papua New Guinea's 2022 elections suffered from a host of problems, following a pattern plaguing the country's polls for years.
  172. [172]
    Austria elects Green candidate as president in narrow defeat for far ...
    May 23, 2016 · Alexander Van der Bellen, a former Green party leader running as independent, pips the Freedom party's Norbert Hofer.Missing: dispute | Show results with:dispute
  173. [173]
    Austria's presidential election annulled – DW – 07/01/2016
    Jul 1, 2016 · Austria's constitutional court annulled May's president election on Friday, upholding a legal challenge by the anti-immigration Freedom party (FPÖ).Missing: dispute | Show results with:dispute
  174. [174]
    Austria must redo presidential election after court ruling - CNN
    Jul 1, 2016 · ustria could go from having a left-leaning president-elect to a far-right one in a matter of months, as a court has annulled the results of ...Missing: dispute | Show results with:dispute
  175. [175]
    Far right narrowly defeated in Austrian presidential election - Reuters
    May 23, 2016 · Austria came close to becoming the first European Union country to elect a far-right head of state as postal ballots on Monday decided a ...Missing: dispute | Show results with:dispute
  176. [176]
    Traian Basescu wins Romanian re-election | Romania - The Guardian
    Dec 14, 2009 · Romania's constitutional court today declared Traian Basescu the winner of a second term as president after last week's disputed election.
  177. [177]
    BBC News - Romania opposition alleges fraud in presidential poll
    Dec 7, 2009 · Romania's opposition Social Democrat party says Sunday's presidential election was rigged and plans to contest the result.
  178. [178]
    Assessing the 2009 Presidential Elections | Wilson Center
    Jan 27, 2010 · The Romanian presidential elections held last fall provoked accusations of mudslinging, electoral fraud and, most recently, even interference by the occult.
  179. [179]
    Why Romania Just Canceled Its Presidential Election
    Dec 6, 2024 · The Romanian government is trying to guard against Russian election interference. But such a drastic, unexpected, and last-minute move risks ...
  180. [180]
    The Romanian 2024 Election Annulment: Addressing Emerging ...
    Dec 20, 2024 · On December 6, Romania's Constitutional Court annulled the outcome of the country's first round of presidential elections.
  181. [181]
    2024–2025 Romanian election annulment protests - Wikipedia
    Protests took place across Romania from December 2024 to May 2025 in response to the Constitutional Court's December 2024 unprecedented decision to ...
  182. [182]
    Nationalist Simion wins first round of Romanian election rerun - BBC
    May 5, 2025 · George Simion came first with 40.96% of the vote, and will go into the runoff on 18 May as the clear favourite against the liberal mayor of Bucharest.
  183. [183]
    Increased Election Interference Activity in Eastern Europe Reveals ...
    Mar 19, 2025 · With the super-election year of 2024 in the rearview mirror, there is a lot to learn from the elections that have taken place in Europe ...
  184. [184]
    Field experiment estimate of electoral fraud in Russian ... - PNAS
    ... fraud in the city of Moscow during the Russian parliamentary elections in December 2011. Specifically, we compared voting shares of the incumbent United ...
  185. [185]
    'Shpilkin method': Statistical tool gauges voter fraud in Putin landslide
    Mar 20, 2024 · As many as half of all the votes reported for Vladimir Putin in Russia's presidential election last week were fraudulent, according to ...
  186. [186]
    Voters Watch Polls in Russia, and Fraud Is What They See
    Dec 5, 2011 · TimesCast | Russian Elections. 2:14. Election monitors and everyday Russians document blatant fraud in the weekend's parliamentary vote.Credit ...
  187. [187]
    Russians come out in force to protest against alleged electoral fraud
    Dec 10, 2011 · ... parliamentary election that saw Putin's United Russia party gain nearly 50% of the vote despite widespread accusations of fraud. "I demand ...
  188. [188]
    Independent Russian vote monitor says election was a mockery
    Mar 18, 2024 · An independent Russian vote monitoring group said on Monday that the presidential election that Vladimir Putin won in a landslide with ...
  189. [189]
    Putin 2024 Meduza breaks down the evidence pointing to the most ...
    Mar 20, 2024 · Polling stations engaged in this fraud fall to the right of a normal distribution: on a scatter plot showing the relationship between voter ...
  190. [190]
    Evidence shows recent presidential elections most rigged in ...
    Mar 23, 2024 · Novaya Gazeta Europe, an independent Russian publication, estimates the voting fraud at 31.6 million votes. This figure also excludes ...
  191. [191]
    Elections in Belarus - OSCE
    Presidential Election, 19 December 2010. Following an official invitation from Belarus's Foreign Ministry, ODIHR deployed an election observation mission on 15 ...
  192. [192]
    Belarus election: Opposition disputes Lukashenko landslide win - BBC
    Aug 10, 2020 · EPA Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko votes during the presidential elections at a polling station in Minsk EPA. Mr Lukashenko cast his ...
  193. [193]
    The Belarus Election and its Aftermath | An Expert Analysis
    Aug 12, 2020 · 1. President Alexander Lukashenko has claimed victory once again amid a vote widely decried as manipulated and with no international observers.
  194. [194]
    No election observation mission in Belarus due to lack of ... - OSCE
    Jan 9, 2025 · The decision of the Belarusian authorities not to invite OSCE participating States to observe the country's presidential election on 26 January is deeply ...
  195. [195]
    2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Belarus
    After a number of state television personnel resigned in protest over the allegations of presidential election fraud and subsequent police violence starting in ...
  196. [196]
    U.S. Expands Sanctions on the Belarusian Regime ... - Treasury
    U.S. Expands Sanctions on the Belarusian Regime, Marking the Three-Year Anniversary of the Fraudulent August 2020 Presidential Election. August 9, 2023.
  197. [197]
    No opposition candidates allowed in Belarus dictator's “sham ...
    Feb 27, 2024 · The election was the first to take place in Belarus since the controversial presidential ballot of August 2020, when widespread accusations ...
  198. [198]
    EXPLAINER: What Happened With the Key Electoral Body in ...
    Sep 7, 2023 · For a country that has endured an authoritarian government and a long-standing political crisis, each opportunity for a peaceful and ...
  199. [199]
    Carter Center Statement on Venezuela Election
    Jul 30, 2024 · Venezuela's 2024 presidential election did not meet international standards of electoral integrity and cannot be considered democratic.
  200. [200]
    Venezuela election: Maduro wins second term amid claims of vote ...
    May 21, 2018 · Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro has won re-election to another six-year term, in a vote marred by an opposition boycott and claims of vote-rigging.
  201. [201]
    [PDF] Venezuela's 2018 Presidential Elections - Congress.gov
    May 24, 2018 · On May 20, 2018, Venezuela held presidential elections that were boycotted by the Democratic Unity. Roundtable (MUD) coalition of opposition ...
  202. [202]
    How Venezuela's opposition proved its election win - The Guardian
    Aug 11, 2024 · A meticulously planned operation with tens of thousands of volunteers succeeded in gathering 83% of voting tallies.
  203. [203]
    Independent election experts legitimize tally sheets Venezuela's ...
    Oct 2, 2024 · An independent group of election experts that observed Venezuela's July presidential election has legitimized the vote tally sheets that the ...
  204. [204]
    Venezuela election: Maduro declared winner in disputed vote - BBC
    Jul 29, 2024 · President Nicolás Maduro has won Venezuela's presidential election, according to partial results announced by the electoral council.
  205. [205]
    Assessing the Results of Venezuela's Presidential Election
    Aug 2, 2024 · Unfortunately, the processing of those votes and the announcement of results by the Maduro-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE) were ...
  206. [206]
    Venezuela: Brutal Crackdown Since Elections | Human Rights Watch
    Apr 30, 2025 · Venezuelan authorities and pro-government armed groups have committed widespread abuses since the July 28, 2024 presidential elections.
  207. [207]
    U.S. recognizes Venezuela's opposition candidate as winner ... - PBS
    Aug 1, 2024 · The US government on Thursday recognized Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González as the winner of the South American country's presidential election.
  208. [208]
    Venezuela's 2024 stolen election compounds challenges to stability ...
    The 2024 Venezuela elections mark a pivotal choice for the country's future. The nation faces two distinct paths.
  209. [209]
    Ahmadinejad won. Get over it - POLITICO
    Jun 15, 2009 · Many US politicians and “Iran experts” have dismissed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's reelection Friday, with 62.6 percent of the vote, as fraud.Missing: dispute | Show results with:dispute
  210. [210]
    Reacting to Iran's Disputed Presidential Election Outcome | Brookings
    Jun 14, 2009 · Saturday's declaration that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had won a landslide victory for a second term moved the country's ...
  211. [211]
    The Islamic Republic at 31: Post-election Abuses Show Serious ...
    Feb 11, 2010 · This 19-page report documents widespread human rights abuses, including extra-judicial killings; rapes and torture; violations of the rights ...
  212. [212]
    Myanmar: Election Fundamentally Flawed - Human Rights Watch
    Oct 5, 2020 · Electoral problems include discriminatory citizenship and other laws that bar most Rohingya Muslim voters and candidates; reservation of 25 ...
  213. [213]
    Myanmar election: No evidence fraud in 2020 vote, observers say
    May 17, 2021 · Conclusion contradicts claim by the military, which argues February coup was justified by voter fraud.
  214. [214]
    World Report 2022: Nicaragua | Human Rights Watch
    President Ortega was elected to a fourth consecutive term in November amid government repression of critics and the political opposition.Right to Vote and Run for Office · Covid-19 Response · Attacks on Human Rights...
  215. [215]
    Nicaragua Descends Into Autocratic Rule as Ortega Crushes Dissent
    Nov 18, 2021 · President Daniel Ortega quashed the opposition and struck fear in voters, all but guaranteeing his victory in a presidential contest on ...
  216. [216]
    Polarized perceptions of election legitimacy increase with ...
    The present study, conducted immediately after the 2020 presidential election in the United States, examined whether Democrats' and Republicans' polarized ...
  217. [217]
    When Do Governments Resort to Election Violence? | British Journal ...
    Post-election violence is a count of all elections in which the government used violence against protesters following the election. Although political violence ...
  218. [218]
    Forecasting electoral violence - ScienceDirect.com
    Oct 7, 2025 · One in five national elections since 1946 has experienced significant levels of intimidation, harassment, and physical violence, often leading ...Missing: disputed | Show results with:disputed
  219. [219]
    International Condemnation and Post-Election Violence - jstor
    Using data on post-election violence in thirty-eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa since 1990, I show that internationally condemned elections are more likely ...
  220. [220]
    The Electoral Consequences of Affective Polarization? Negative ...
    About one third of American voters cast a vote more “against” than “for” a candidate in the 2020 Presidential election.
  221. [221]
    Election-Related Post-Traumatic Stress: Evidence from the 2020 ...
    May 15, 2023 · We hypothesized that the 2020 election might have been traumatic for some voters, producing measurable symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).Missing: immediate | Show results with:immediate<|separator|>
  222. [222]
    Not All Elections Are Created Equal: Election Quality and Civil Conflict
    Research on the dangers of democratization has long warned of the potential for elections to spark civil conflict. Yet, this work has remained surprisingly ...
  223. [223]
    [PDF] analytical digest belarus - CSS/ETH Zürich
    Jan 26, 2025 · The. International Institute for Democracy and Electoral. Assistance (IDEA) reports that 2023 marked the eighth consecutive year of democratic ...
  224. [224]
    New report analyzes increasing political repression in Venezuela ...
    Sep 18, 2025 · The report, titled Electoral Repression, Enforced Disappearances and Political Control in Venezuela, analyzes how President Nicolas Maduro's ...
  225. [225]
    10 Why Russia's Democracy Broke - Oxford Academic
    Coming to power in 2000, President Vladimir Putin ended open political competition, consolidated control over the media, and harassed opposition voices. Gaidar ...
  226. [226]
    How do elections affect the stock market? - Economics Observatory
    Jun 26, 2024 · General elections affect stock markets. The uncertainty around their outcome typically increases market volatility before votes are cast.
  227. [227]
    Risks from potentially contested US election appear on market's radar
    Oct 10, 2024 · A tight U.S. presidential race is leading some investors to brace for an unclear or contested election result that could trip up this year's ...
  228. [228]
    Belarus Sanctions - Office of Foreign Assets Control
    E.O. of August 9, 2021 authorizes the imposition of blocking sanctions on persons operating in certain identified sectors of the Belarus economy, including the ...
  229. [229]
    [PDF] BELARUS: Muddling through amidst sanctions
    The potential cumulative macroeconomic losses from the sanctions – provided they are effectively enforced – could be between 6% and 10% of GDP over two years.
  230. [230]
    Venezuela: The Rise and Fall of a Petrostate
    Venezuela continues to grapple with economic and political hardship under President Nicolás Maduro, but U.S. sanctions relief in exchange for democratic reforms ...
  231. [231]
    VENEZUELA : The impact of US sanctions - UNAA
    Oct 1, 2021 · The US economic sanctions include the prohibition of the Venezuelan government from accessing US financial services, the closure of bank ...
  232. [232]
    The impact of western sanctions on Belarus - New Eastern Europe
    Sep 20, 2024 · The sanctions exposed the fragility of an economic system overly reliant on state control, export dependence and a close relationship with ...
  233. [233]
    Russia emerges as the real winner of Georgia's disputed election
    Nov 12, 2024 · The election was widely seen as a referendum on Georgia's future geopolitical direction. The country's Russia-friendly authorities hoped to ...Missing: isolation | Show results with:isolation<|control11|><|separator|>
  234. [234]
    Voting Equipment - Verified Voting
    How we vote in the United States is surprisingly complex. Election security experts agree that the most resilient voting systems use paper ballots (marked by ...
  235. [235]
    Election Administration: An Introduction to Risk-Limiting Audits
    Jul 12, 2021 · One tool officials can use to help check the accuracy of election outcomes is a type of post-election audit known as a risk-limiting audit.
  236. [236]
    Voter identification | MIT Election Lab
    Jun 10, 2021 · All states have voter identification requirements, ranging from simply announcing one's name to showing an official photo ID card.
  237. [237]
    Election Security - U.S. Election Assistance Commission
    This guide outlines some of the many best practices local election officials follow to secure voting systems through an election cycle.
  238. [238]
    Security Recommendations | NIST
    Election officials are encouraged to take the following steps to ensure their voting systems are isolated from the Internet. Map the network: Except for the ...
  239. [239]
    Best Practices for Securing Election Systems - CISA
    Nov 11, 2022 · Organizations can implement these best practices, which harden enterprise networks and strengthen election infrastructure, at little or no cost.
  240. [240]
    [PDF] Election Technology Best Practices
    The cybersecurity of elections has never been more salient in the minds of election officials and voters. To ensure the integrity of the voting process, ...
  241. [241]
    [PDF] Risk-Limiting Audits - The Carter Center
    In contrast with more traditional post-election tabulation audits that sample voting machines or precincts, the RLA samples individual ballots or batches of.
  242. [242]
    [PDF] Risk-Limiting Post-Election Audits - Berkeley Statistics
    Stark, University of California, Berkeley. Page 2. The Risk-Limiting Audits Working Group is a self-organized group of election officials, researchers, and ...
  243. [243]
    Moving to Evidence-Based Elections | National Academies
    Mar 16, 2023 · We describe how the use of paper ballots and postelection audits can improve election transparency and help inform public discourse.
  244. [244]
    How States Can Prevent Election Subversion in 2024 and Beyond
    Sep 7, 2023 · State legislators, local administrators, and advocates must strengthen and clarify election processes, preempt disinformation, and enact stronger measures ...
  245. [245]
    Rep. Obernolte Introduces the Election Results Accountability Act to ...
    Apr 9, 2025 · Congressman Jay Obernolte (CA-23) introduced the Election Results Accountability Act, legislation aimed at improving transparency and restoring trust in the ...
  246. [246]
    Who benefits from voter identification laws? - PNAS
    Feb 6, 2023 · Existing research focuses on how voter ID laws affect voter turnout and fraud. But the extent to which they produce observable electoral ...Missing: disputes | Show results with:disputes
  247. [247]
    S.4573 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Electoral Count Reform and ...
    Summary of S.4573 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022.
  248. [248]
    Text - S.4573 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Electoral Count ...
    Text for S.4573 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022.
  249. [249]
    Understanding the Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022
    Sep 18, 2024 · A hand casting a ballot. The Electoral Count Act (ECA) governs the casting and counting of electoral votes for president and vice president ...Missing: details | Show results with:details
  250. [250]
    Summary Enactments Relating to the Electoral Count Reform Act
    At the end of 2022, Congress enacted an omnibus appropriations bill that included the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act ...Missing: details | Show results with:details
  251. [251]
    https://statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu/featured/2025/explainer-the-proposed-voter-id-constitutional-amendment-on-wisconsins-april-ballot/
  252. [252]
    Explainer: The Proposed Voter ID Constitutional Amendment on ...
    Feb 24, 2025 · Bryna Godar, Staff Attorney PDF Available Here Published: February 24, 2025 On Wisconsin's April 1, 2025, spring election ballot, ...
  253. [253]
    S.3588 - Constitutional Election Integrity Act 118th Congress (2023 ...
    Text for S.3588 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): Constitutional Election Integrity Act.
  254. [254]
    Inside the courts and challenging election outcomes
    Mar 14, 2023 · Litigating election disputes is contentious, complex, and excessively technical. The technicality of electoral dispute litigation is fueled ...
  255. [255]
    Why Judges, Not Lawmakers, Should Rule on Disputed Elections
    Mar 2, 2021 · Disregard for the judgments of courts is a sure sign that democracy is in trouble. Donald Trump's machinations after the Nov. 3 election ...