EVALUATION OF ELECTRONIC BASED VOTING SYSTEM AND DESIGN OF BLOCK-CHAIN-BASED ELECTRONIC VOTING SYSTEM ENHANCED WITH FINGERPRINT AND FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGIES TO ADDRESS IMPERSONATION

Trust in elections, vote buying, and turnout in Latin America

Election is crucial and indispensable for establishing a democratic government. Without elections, modern democracy loses its essence, spirit, and substance. Electoral distrust has emerged as a critical issue in Bangladesh, undermining the legitimacy of democratic institutions and processes. This study explores the origins and effects of electoral distrust within the Rajshahi City Corporation Area. The research investigates the factors contributing to the decline of public trust in elections, emphasising voter perceptions, past electoral experiences, and the impact of political, social, and media narratives. Data have been collected through structured questionnaires from a diverse group of Rajshahi city residents, enabling an in-depth understanding of their attitudes toward the electoral process. Using the purposive sampling method, the researcher has chosen 150 respondents from 2 election areas and the University of Rajshahi in the Rajshahi City Corporation area. The findings reveal that allegations of vote-rigging, political interference and a lack of transparency in election procedures are among the significant causes of distrust. Additionally, the study highlights this mistrust's social and political consequences, including voter apathy, disengagement, and diminished faith in democratic governance. Based on these insights, the research provides recommendations to restore public confidence, including reforms to enhance transparency, accountability, and voter education. This study contributes to the broader discourse on electoral integrity in Bangladesh, offering policy suggestions for strengthening democratic processes at the local level.

Over the past 2 years, the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) has undergone an intentional transformation of its leadership engagement and governance structure. NAPCRG’s mission statement states “NAPCRG is committed to a nurturing, informative and inspiring environment for all members.” One approach to meeting this commitment is to engage members in organizational activities, and specifically leadership activities. In March 2013, with this priority as a guide, Norman Oliver, MD, MA, chair of NAPCRG’s Nominations Committee, set about developing goals to increase membership engagement and leadership capacity. One recommendation approved by the Board of Directors was a policy modification changing the terms of all members of the board from 3 two-year terms to 2 two-year terms. Limiting the number of terms creates frequent turnover in leadership positions allowing more members to get more involved. The board also approved a change in the term for the president of NAPCRG from a 2-year term to a 3-year term—a year as vice president, president, and immediate past president. The Nominations Committee suggested that one of the best ways for members to get involved is to serve as members of committees. Potential leaders can be identified leaders through several mechanisms including signup sheets for leadership roles and committees at the NAPCRG Annual Meeting. During the NAPCRG 2013 Annual Meeting in Ottawa, Ontario, members expressed concerns about a lack of transparency regarding elections to the NAPCRG Board of Directors. Traditionally, outgoing members nominated their replacements, rather than placing an open call for nominations. Concerns were also expressed about a lack of diversity in board and committee chair positions. The board asked Dr Oliver and the NAPCRG executive director to draft recommendations for a new, fair, and transparent process for soliciting nominations and electing members to the Board of Directors. In February 2014, the board adopted a diversity statement affirming its commitment of a diverse membership, leaders, meetings, programs, research, and employment. In addition, the Nominations Committee proposed a transparent nominations process with job descriptions for every position on the board, and a revamped nominations and elections process. The board sought additional feedback from members on the policy and delayed adoption of the new process until the board met in April of that year. On April 7, 2014, the NAPCRG Board of Directors approved an election process where board job descriptions and open positions are publicized to the membership; the Nominations Committee reviews, screens, and prioritizes nominees based on the relevance of their qualifications; and finally the final slate of nominations are approved by the NAPCRG Board of Directors. NAPCRG is now in its second cycle of the transparent and open nominations and election process, resulting in positive feedback thus far. Furthermore, in an effort to increase awareness of leadership opportunities within NAPCRG, a special session was held during the NAPCRG Annual Meeting in New York, NY on November 24, 2014. The goal of the session was to inspire and inform NAPCRG members about how to get more involved in the organization. The session provided an overview of NAPCRG’s history, culture and personal testimonials from current and past leaders about the importance of the organization. Information was shared on how to get involved in special interest groups, committees, and the Board of Directors. The session was well attended and will be repeated at future Annual Meetings. The final stage of the expansion of NAPCRG’s leadership capacity is improvement to the committee and subcommittee structure. Historically, each committee chair determined who was on their committees, and often members who expressed interest in serving on a committee were never contacted regarding their interest. As a result, the board approved a new policy that will require each committee chair to determine the optimal size of their committee and type of members they need to meet their needs. Chairs will also determine a fair and transparent election or selection process. Members will serve on committees for 2 two-year terms and during the open call for nominations to the board there will now be an open call for nominations for all open seats on committees. Nominations for committee positions will be sent to each committee chair to elect nominees. The Board of Directors and the Executive Director will regularly evaluate and refine these new processes and procedures for improving NAPCRG’s leadership capacity, and every effort will be made to identify opportunities to further the mission of creating an environment for all members that is nurturing, informative and inspiring.

General elections in Indonesia are an important mechanism in the democratic process that aims to elect people's representatives and government leaders. However, the electoral system in Indonesia faces various problems that can threaten the quality of democracy. These problems include the practice of money politics, vote manipulation, and lack of transparency in the election process. In addition, the existence of political intervention and bureaucracy that are not neutral are also serious challenges. The impact of these problems on democracy is very significant, including declining public trust in democratic institutions, weakening public political participation, and hampering the process of forming an accountable and responsive government. Therefore, a comprehensive electoral system reform is needed to strengthen democracy in Indonesia.

The chapter interrogates the electoral reform process since 1999. It highlights the significance of electoral reform and discusses the various reform measures between 1999 and 2015 and assesses the impact of electoral reforms on the electoral processes in Nigeria particularly the 2015 general elections. Specifically, the chapter identifies three broad strands of electoral reform, namely reforms of the constitutional and legal frameworks of elections, the role of the Justice Muhammed Uwais’ Electoral Reform Committee (ERC) and internal reforms and innovations within INEC itself. These interventions positively impacted Nigerian elections in many ways. Among others, the reforms boosted the administrative and financial autonomy and capacity of INEC, eroded longstanding negative perceptions about INEC, and engendered broader international support for the electoral process.

In recent years, the Indian electoral system has been marred by instances of criminal and money politics. These practices have not only undermined the democratic process but have also resulted in the election of corrupt and ineffective representatives. In this paper, we propose the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to prevent criminal and money politics in the Indian electoral system. We argue that the digital age provides a unique opportunity to enhance transparency and accountability in the electoral process, and ICT can be leveraged to achieve this goal. The paper begins by providing an overview of the problem of criminal and money politics in India and its impact on the electoral process. We then discuss the potential of ICT in addressing this problem, highlighting the various tools and technologies that can be employed to ensure transparency and accountability in the electoral process. We also discuss the challenges and limitations of ICT in this context, including issues related to the digital divide, cybersecurity, and data privacy. The paper then provides a detailed analysis of the various ICT initiatives that have been undertaken in India to prevent criminal and money politics in the electoral process. These include initiatives such as the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the introduction of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines, and the use of biometric authentication for voter identification. We evaluate the impact of these initiatives on the electoral process and identify areas for further improvement. Finally, we conclude by emphasizing the need for a comprehensive and coordinated approach to leveraging ICT for preventing criminal and money politics in the Indian electoral system. We argue that such an approach must involve the collaboration of various stakeholders, including the Election Commission, political parties, civil society organizations, and the general public. We also highlight the need for a strong legal and regulatory framework to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of ICT initiatives in this context.

Objective/Context: People usually associate democracy with different sorts of values and desirable outcomes. An informed understanding of democracy, however, requires that the public be aware that democracy is a regime in which elections are free and fair, the government is bound by the rule of law, and citizens have equal political rights and civil freedoms. This article is a contribution to the scholarship on the public understanding of democracy as a liberal-electoral regime. The central claim is that an informed notion of democracy reinforces the relationship between perception of integrity in the electoral process and confidence in elections as a core institution in the political system. Methodology: Using survey data, the empirical analysis focuses on the case of Mexico, where several observers identify a crucial puzzle: voters systematically distrust elections that are widely regarded as free and fair. The analysis is replicated in other Latin American countries as well. Conclusions: As would be expected, voters are more likely to trust elections when they perceive that ballots are counted fairly, electoral officials are honest, media coverage is balanced, or women have equal opportunities to run for office. The results confirm, furthermore, that perception of electoral integrity is associated with a greater degree of trust in elections on the condition that voters understand democracy as a liberal regime. Originality: This research shows that an accurate understanding of democracy enhances citizens’ abilities to appreciate the link between electoral integrity and the trustworthiness of elections.

Trust in elections and the institutional design of electoral authorities: Evidence from Latin America

A rigorous literature analyzing elections in the United States, in established European democracies, and in the newer democracies of Eastern Europe and Latin America have shown that voters on the losing side of a campaign exhibit less trust in elections and faith in democratic legitimacy. Those who experience the “winner effect,” by contrast, report greater system support and belief in the integrity of the election. What drives this effect? Is it the election result itself that leads to a direct change in mass opinion or is it the elite messages – including charges of voter fraud – that often follow a contest? To disentangle the impact of mass mood from leadership cues as the mechanisms behind the winner effect, we use a regression discontinuity in time (RDiT) design in a recent American election in which the leading candidate on the losing side did not claim to have lost because of vote fraud. We gathered parallel survey samples in the two days leading up to the polls closing and then the following two days once the definitive results became clear. Even in the absence of elite claims of vote fraud, we see strong and immediate shifts in mass views. Once the results became clear, those who supported the losing side became significantly less likely to trust that votes were counted correctly or to be satisfied with the election process, while trust and support for the process rose from pre-to post-election for voters on the winning side. We contribute to this literature by demonstrating that elite cues are not a necessary condition to drive the winner effect; it can be generated by mass attitudinal shifts that follow from the revelation of an election result alone.

Longitudinal research has documented an increase in news avoidance frequency in many countries. Following this line of research, a number of studies have examined the patterns and drivers of news avoidance practices. In doing so, scholars have used different measures of news avoidance, most prominently selective (or active) news avoidance and low/no levels of news use (regardless of whether it is intentional or not). However, we know much less about the impact of news avoidance in key democratic outcomes. This article makes a distinctive contribution by examining how low news use and selective news avoidance are correlated with normatively important outcomes for democracy (belief in misinformation, political participation, and trust in the election process). We do that by using two-wave pre- and post- election panel surveys representative of the population in Greece and Brazil during their 2023 and 2022 elections, respectively. We show that low news use correlates with higher belief in misinformation and lower levels of trust in elections. On the other hand, selective news avoiders of political news are less likely to participate in elections, but they are not more misinformed. Overall, our findings contribute with empirical evidence to existing debates about the normative expectations of news avoidance. We discuss the small overlap between the distinct set of implications between selective news avoidance and low news use, as well as their weak correlation.

The International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories Presents Abstracts from Its Annual Meeting Due North: Aligning Biobanking Practice with Evolving Evidence and Innovation May 9–12, 2017 Toronto, Canada

The integrity of electoral processes is fundamental to the legitimacy of governance in democratic societies. Traditional voting systems have long been susceptible to fraud, tampering, and lack of transparency, eroding public trust in elections. With the increasing digitalization of modern society, secure and efficient alternatives to conventional voting mechanisms are urgently required. Blockchain technology, with its inherent features of decentralization, immutability, and cryptographic security, offers a transformative solution to safeguard electoral integrity. This paper investigates the potential of blockchain-based voting systems to mitigate vulnerabilities in traditional processes. By juxtaposing conventional and digital approaches, examining case studies, and evaluating design architectures, the study provides insights into how blockchain can enhance transparency, trust, and inclusivity in democratic participation. Ethical considerations and future trends are also explored to present a comprehensive outlook on the adoption of blockchain in electoral systems

The article examines the features of coverage of election processes in the mass media of Ukraine in the post-war period. It is substantiated that the post-war period is becoming key for the restoration of democratic institutions and the consolidation of society, and the media play a central role in this process. Ensuring the transparency of election procedures, increasing citizens’ trust in elections, and counteracting manipulation are the main tasks facing modern Ukrainian media. It is determined that the features of coverage of elections in the post-war period are the fight against disinformation, countering attempts at political manipulation, as well as the need to take into account the increased emotionality and vulnerability of the audience. It is emphasized that a significant role in the formation of public opinion is played by social networks, which have become the main channel of information for many Ukrainians. Social media, on the one hand, open up new opportunities for involving voters in the political process, but at the same time create risks of spreading fake news and provocative content. Particular attention is paid to the problem of the survival of regional media, which in conditions of war and economic crisis often remain the only source of information for local communities. It is shown that the restoration and support of regional media is a necessary condition for ensuring equal access of citizens to information about elections, as well as for strengthening the connection between the state and society. It is concluded that the media in the post-war period should not only inform citizens about the course of elections, but also contribute to the restoration of trust in democratic processes. Election campaigns become an instrument not only of political struggle, but also of national unification, and it is the media that should play an important role in this process. The development of ethical standards in election coverage, support for regional media and the introduction of mechanisms to combat disinformation are key areas for ensuring transparency and democracy of electoral processes in Ukraine.

Trust in elections is paramount for a democracy and citizens are more likely to cast ballots and support election results when they perceive election processes as trustworthy. However, with the advent of greater dependence on algorithms in election processes, we ask does a reliance on algorithms or a hybrid system for verifying signatures allay or increase citizens’ confidence in using them in elections? To answer this, we use unique survey experiments to first determine respondents’ comfort level in using such systems in elections and then to assess the circumstances which bound this trust. We find that respondents similarly trust automated and non-automated systems, but do not have a clear conception of the confidence threshold, set by policymakers, necessary for rejecting ballots. Additionally, respondents blame election officials more than algorithms when mistakes are made, although this result is contingent on the type of error and respondents’ partisanship. These results have significant implications for confidence in signature verification and other election processes that rely on artificial intelligence.

This article explores the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in elections and its impact on the right to votr. It examines the practical aspects of the application of AI in the electoral process, as well as the potential threats it may pose to democratic principles and human rights. The paper analyzes various aspects of the use of AI during elections, including the automation of vote counting, election forecasting, and the impact of social media and crowdsourcing on political advertising. It also explores the potential of using AI to detect electoral fraud and manipulation, such as disinformation and falsification of results. However, the article also draws attention to the threats that arise in connection with the use of AI during elections. These threats include the possibility of manipulation of election results, violations of the privacy, and the possibility of creating artificial accounts or bots to mass influence public opinion. Finally, the article examines ways to overcome these threats and protect human electoral rights. It discusses the need to develop effective laws and regulations to ensure the transparency, auditability and security of electoral processes that use AI. It also considers the importance of educating voters and politicians about these technologies and the conscious use of AI in political processes. In addition, the article considers the importance of international cooperation and the creation of standards for the ethical use of AI by electoral bodies and political actors. However, the use of artificial intelligence during elections can also pose threats to citizens' right to vote. For example, there may be a lack of transparency and accountability of the algorithms used to analyze election data and make decisions. This can lead to unfair or hidden influence on the election process and voting results. In addition, there is a risk of artificial intelligence being misused to manipulate voters by spreading false information or manipulating political sentiment. Algorithms can be configured to enhance certain views or suppress others, which can expose the electoral process and violate the principles of democratic elections. Effective legal regulation is necessary to overcome the threats associated with the use of artificial intelligence during elections. It is important to establish mandatory norms regarding the transparency and accountability of algorithms used during election processes. This may include requiring disclosure of the underlying principles and logic underlying algorithms, as well as mandatory testing and independent verification of their effectiveness and lack of bias. It is necessary to consider the introduction of restrictions on the use of artificial intelligence in the field of political advertising and information campaign. This may include restrictions on the use of personalized advertising, mandatory identification and disclosure of sources of funding for political advertising campaigns, as well as regulation of the use of social networks.