They must not be overly burdened to reach polling places, and reasonable accommodation should be made to ensure that citizens with a disability or other health condition, or lack of transportation, are still able to vote. Governments need to make voting reasonably possible for citizens. Which, of course, is the foundation of democracy.Įven if voters are given the right to vote, and are able to register to vote, an election is not free and fair unless they are then able to actually cast their ballot. And the violation is not just to the individual prevented from taking part, but to all voters, because depriving them of a valid option at the polls is to deprive them of their right to choose the leaders they want. This standard is generally secure in the European Union, but in states with sham elections, like Russia, it is non-existent. Governments cannot attack or prevent people who want to run for office, assuming they meet the same eligibility criteria as other politicians and candidates. A citizen who is eligible to vote should also be eligible to run for office. In a democracy with free and fair elections, governments exist for the people, are empowered by the people, and are made up of the people. And the proliferation of social media allows government misinformation to be amplified. Wealthy friends of the government buy up independent outlets and turn them into government mouthpieces. Governments such as those in Hungary, Slovenia, Poland and others are attacking free media. It is also one of the standards most under threat today. So access to reliable information is a key requirement for free and fair elections. This means that governments can’t prevent the media from covering opposition candidates or parties, and it also means that parties don’t intentionally spread misinformation. In order for citizens to make informed choices at the ballot box, they need accurate information about the candidates and political platforms they're choosing between. Voters have access to reliable information A prominent example of this is in the United States, when southern states limited the ability of Black citizens to register and cast votes in elections in the decades following the American Civil War.Ģ. Limiting the ability of eligible citizens to register vote is one tactic some governments use to remain in power. But in order for an election to be free and fair, all citizens who meet the eligibility requirements need to be able to register to vote. For example, countries limit the right to vote to citizens above a certain age. This does not mean that governments cannot place certain limitations on the right to vote. The first standard that defines free and fair elections is that citizens are able to register to vote. Here are the eight crucial standards elections must meet in order to be considered free and fair: There is a system around elections that, in order for them to be free and fair, must be vibrant and free from government meddling. But it’s important to keep in mind that it’s not only about the elections themselves. Specifically, there are eight standards that must be met for an election to be free and fair. There are many necessary components of free and fair elections, although all of them are fairly straightforward and to be expected in true democracies. With Poland’s judiciary now almost fully under the control of the government, there is doubt about its impartiality should election cases come before it, as happened last year when it upheld the victory of the ruling party. For example, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which carries out election observations, assessed Hungary’s last election as free but not fair. But this basic facet of democracy is increasingly in doubt, even in places like the European Union. In fact, in order for a country to truly be a democracy, its elections must be both free and fair. And we want our voice to count exactly the same as everyone else’s.įor this, we need free and fair elections. We all want to have a voice in determining the future of our country and in shaping the lives we live under. Free and fair elections are the foundation of democracy and allow for the free and just societies we want to live in.
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