Election Observation in the Digital Era

Election observation has become a cornerstone of contemporary democratic processes, aiming to enhance transparency, credibility, and public trust in electoral outcomes. This panel seeks to delve into the various dimensions of election observation, examining its effectiveness and challenges in the 21st century. By bringing together scholars in electoral studies and international relations, the panel will provide a comprehensive analysis of the role and impact of election observation in the digital era. The objectives of the panel are twofold. First, it aims to describe the hows and whys of election observation by examining the profiles of the election observers and the political and logistical challenges faced by election observation mission, as well as by discussing methodologies and criteria used by observer missions to assess elections. Second, the panel aims to evaluate the effectiveness of election observation by assessing how election observation contributes to the transparency and integrity of electoral processes and its impact on electoral outcomes. This is particularly challenging in electoral processes governed by digital tools: Internet voting, biometric identification of voters, campaign on social media, disinformation and fake news, etc. This panel is open to junior and senior scholars from a diversity of background investigating the consequences of voting technology using comparative design or case studies. There are no geographic limitations of the studied cases and cases of election observation in democratic, authoritarian or semi-authoritarian regimes are equally welcome.