Index of Electoral Malpractice, 1995-2006

The aim of the Index of Electoral Malpractice, 1995-2006 was to investigate electoral malpractice in new and semi-democracies. It studied the mechanics of electoral malpractice and the frequency of different forms of abuse with reference to the strategic constraints under which political actors operate in different contexts. It also explored the causes and consequences of electoral malpractice.

The project employed a variety of data, including existing datasets and a new dataset created specifically for this research: the Index of Electoral Malpractice, 1995-2006, constructed on the basis of 136 election observation reports produced between 1995 and 2006 by international election observation missions in 57 states in 3 regions of the world, Latin America, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Each report was coded independently by three coders according to a schema that distinguishes between the targets of various manipulative strategies: the legislative framework, campaign practices, and various aspects of the electoral administrative process. Coders were asked to code a total of 15 aspects of the electoral process, including an overall assessment of the quality of the election, as reflected in the observation mission’s evaluation.

Further information can be found on the Electoral Malpractice and E… web page.