Electoral Integrity

There is a government that is using unilateral power to change elections to suite themselves. Getting rid of the ‘watchdog’ agency was the first step, re-writing donation rules allowing millions to pour into party coffers, disallowing classifications of people who are expected to vote against the current rulers followed shortly thereafter. 

The actions being undertaken are deeply damaging for electoral integrity within the country, as well as providing an example which, if emulated elsewhere, may potentially harm international standards of electoral rights.

Pippa Norris, a Harvard University lecturer who is leading a six-year electoral integrity project, comparing democratic systems worldwide. Ms. Norris said "I would very much hope they take a breath and would take account of expert opinion, would take account of civil society, would take account of everybody and have basically a royal commission, is what you need, [that] could take this out of the partisan arena," she said. "By eliminating identity vouching at the voting booth, the bill mirrors efforts in the United States that would, in effect, add barriers to the voting process" she said.

Other scholars warn the bill would expand "the role of money" in elections by allowing parties to exempt fundraising activities from campaign spending, raising certain donation limits, not requiring parties to document their expenses and "increasing the influence of personal wealth" by allowing people to donate more to their own campaigns.

China?

Iran?

Afghanistan?

Russia?

Nope: Canada. Google: Fair Elections Act