SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Rudy Giuliani, then a personal attorney for Donald Trump, speaks at a press conference inside the Republican National Committee headquarters on November 19, 2020 in Washington, D.C.
(Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Report Warns of Global 'Democratic Backsliding' as Election Denial Surges
"The success of democracy depends on many things, but it becomes utterly impossible if elections fail," said Kevin Casas-Zamora, secretary-general of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.
Sep 17, 2024
A report published Tuesday by an intergovernmental watchdog paints an alarming picture of the state of global democracy, showing that the quality of elections has declined around the world and losing candidates are rejecting outcomes with growing frequency, further eroding trust in electoral processes and institutions.
The Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) found in its annual report that last year was the worst the group has ever observed for "free and fair elections and parliamentary oversight." It also marked the eighth consecutive year in which "overall democratic performance" declined rather than improved—the longest stretch since IDEA began collecting records in 1975.
"This report is a call for action to protect democratic elections," Kevin Casas-Zamora, the group's secretary-general, said in a statement. "Elections remain the single best opportunity to end democratic backsliding and turn the tide in democracy's favor. The success of democracy depends on many things, but it becomes utterly impossible if elections fail."
IDEA's new analysis estimates that between 2020 and 2024, the losing candidate in nearly 20% of elections across the globe rejected the outcome. The report describes former U.S. President Donald Trump's attacks on the 2020 election results and the violent insurrection that followed as "one of the most extreme examples" of election denial in recent years.
The report states that while "there have been some improvements" in U.S. elections since 2021, "the change is not enough to recover from the decline." Trump is running for president again this year, and lawmakers and watchdogs have warned that he has laid the groundwork to deny the election results again should he lose in November.
Globally, one in three voters currently lives in a country where the quality of elections is in decline, according to IDEA. That decline has been accompanied by a fall in electoral participation, a reflection of eroding trust in the voting process.
The report urges governments to take a number of steps to improve electoral processes and trust in voting systems, from responding "vigilantly to unfounded accusations that seek to harm people's perceptions of electoral integrity" to expanding ballot access in consultation with the public.
"If elections are to continue to act as the foundation stones of democratic systems, it is critical to reinforce public trust in them," the report states. "Integrating popular opinion into the activities of the electoral cycle is one important step in this process."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
donald trumpelectionsinternational institute for democracy and electoral assistanceunited statesdemocracy
A report published Tuesday by an intergovernmental watchdog paints an alarming picture of the state of global democracy, showing that the quality of elections has declined around the world and losing candidates are rejecting outcomes with growing frequency, further eroding trust in electoral processes and institutions.
The Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) found in its annual report that last year was the worst the group has ever observed for "free and fair elections and parliamentary oversight." It also marked the eighth consecutive year in which "overall democratic performance" declined rather than improved—the longest stretch since IDEA began collecting records in 1975.
"This report is a call for action to protect democratic elections," Kevin Casas-Zamora, the group's secretary-general, said in a statement. "Elections remain the single best opportunity to end democratic backsliding and turn the tide in democracy's favor. The success of democracy depends on many things, but it becomes utterly impossible if elections fail."
IDEA's new analysis estimates that between 2020 and 2024, the losing candidate in nearly 20% of elections across the globe rejected the outcome. The report describes former U.S. President Donald Trump's attacks on the 2020 election results and the violent insurrection that followed as "one of the most extreme examples" of election denial in recent years.
The report states that while "there have been some improvements" in U.S. elections since 2021, "the change is not enough to recover from the decline." Trump is running for president again this year, and lawmakers and watchdogs have warned that he has laid the groundwork to deny the election results again should he lose in November.
Globally, one in three voters currently lives in a country where the quality of elections is in decline, according to IDEA. That decline has been accompanied by a fall in electoral participation, a reflection of eroding trust in the voting process.
The report urges governments to take a number of steps to improve electoral processes and trust in voting systems, from responding "vigilantly to unfounded accusations that seek to harm people's perceptions of electoral integrity" to expanding ballot access in consultation with the public.
"If elections are to continue to act as the foundation stones of democratic systems, it is critical to reinforce public trust in them," the report states. "Integrating popular opinion into the activities of the electoral cycle is one important step in this process."
A report published Tuesday by an intergovernmental watchdog paints an alarming picture of the state of global democracy, showing that the quality of elections has declined around the world and losing candidates are rejecting outcomes with growing frequency, further eroding trust in electoral processes and institutions.
The Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) found in its annual report that last year was the worst the group has ever observed for "free and fair elections and parliamentary oversight." It also marked the eighth consecutive year in which "overall democratic performance" declined rather than improved—the longest stretch since IDEA began collecting records in 1975.
"This report is a call for action to protect democratic elections," Kevin Casas-Zamora, the group's secretary-general, said in a statement. "Elections remain the single best opportunity to end democratic backsliding and turn the tide in democracy's favor. The success of democracy depends on many things, but it becomes utterly impossible if elections fail."
IDEA's new analysis estimates that between 2020 and 2024, the losing candidate in nearly 20% of elections across the globe rejected the outcome. The report describes former U.S. President Donald Trump's attacks on the 2020 election results and the violent insurrection that followed as "one of the most extreme examples" of election denial in recent years.
The report states that while "there have been some improvements" in U.S. elections since 2021, "the change is not enough to recover from the decline." Trump is running for president again this year, and lawmakers and watchdogs have warned that he has laid the groundwork to deny the election results again should he lose in November.
Globally, one in three voters currently lives in a country where the quality of elections is in decline, according to IDEA. That decline has been accompanied by a fall in electoral participation, a reflection of eroding trust in the voting process.
The report urges governments to take a number of steps to improve electoral processes and trust in voting systems, from responding "vigilantly to unfounded accusations that seek to harm people's perceptions of electoral integrity" to expanding ballot access in consultation with the public.
"If elections are to continue to act as the foundation stones of democratic systems, it is critical to reinforce public trust in them," the report states. "Integrating popular opinion into the activities of the electoral cycle is one important step in this process."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.