Electoral Process Research Articles

Beyond the party push: Gender differences in voters’ persuasion

Despite ongoing efforts to bridge gender disparities, women continue to be underrepresented in political spheres. This paper proposes a novel explanation for the female disadvantage in electoral success, focusing on politicians’ capacity to broaden their electoral base and appeal to voters from opposing parties. Drawing on Swiss elections, this paper leverages various aspects of the electoral system. In Switzerland, the electoral process is characterized by open lists, allowing voters to select candidates within their preferred party, and cross-voting, enabling them to choose candidates from other party lists. Additionally, electoral registers provide data on the number of preference votes garnered by each candidate, categorized by the voter’s preferred party. The analysis reveals that individual preference votes play a pivotal role in driving gender disparities in candidates’ electoral achievements. While the gender gap in preferences expressed by supporters of a particular party is less robust, male politicians outperform their female counterparts significantly in collecting preference votes through cross-voting. This implies that male politicians are more skilled at persuading voters from rival parties. These findings, motivated by various underlying mechanisms, carry considerable policy implications concerning the approach to addressing gender inequalities in politics.

The Impact of the 2022 Electoral Reform on the Credibility of the 2023 General Elections in Nigeria

Over the years, Nigeria has faced serious election fraud, leading many Nigerians to lose confidence in the electoral process. In 2022, the new Electoral Act was introduced, creating more opportunities for the integration of technologies like BVAS and IREV to improve voter accreditation, result transmission, and real-time election viewership for all stakeholders. This development was welcomed by many Nigerians who hoped the Act would restore voter confidence in the country. However, the outcome of the elections, particularly the presidential elections, indicated that the Act failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians. This study therefore examined the Electoral Act 2022 and the election credibility of the 2023 elections. It explored why the Act failed to mitigate insecurity and ensure effective transmission and viewing of election results, which are key to free and fair elections. Using a mixed research approach to data collection and analysis, the study drew on direct responses from voters and stakeholders, scholarly literature, media reports, and findings from election observer groups. The results indicate that while the Act provides a legal framework for stronger elections in Nigeria, it has not sufficiently ensured a free and fair election in the presidential polls. The study concludes that the Act alone cannot guarantee transparent elections due to poor implementation by stakeholders and certain grey areas in the Act that were exploited for election manipulation. The researcher recommends revisiting or strengthening these grey areas to prevent manipulation by elites and ensuring effective implementation by all stakeholders. Specifically, the study suggests the integration of technological advancements, such as blockchain for secure voting, electronic voting systems to enhance accessibility, geospatial technology for better logistics management, and secure mobile applications for real-time results transmission, to further bolster election credibility and transparency in Nigeria.

On the Road to Electoral Democracy? Erosion of the Free and Fair Elections Standard in the Era of the Polish Constitutional Crisis after 2015

This article attempts to diagnose the state of democracy in Poland, remaining in the era of constitutional crisis and following the erosion of the free and fair elections standard, which determines the criteria for distinguishing an electoral democracy from a liberal democracy. For this purpose, the individual elements constituting this concept are analyzed, both having a procedural dimension and referring to the course of the three phases of the electoral process itself (the period before election day, on election day and after election day), as well as referring to the standards of honesty, reliability, the real possibility of alternative power or equal opportunities. The conclusions drawn at individual stages of the deliberations, including an indication of the destabilisation of electoral law, the erosion of guarantees regarding the reliability of elections, disproportion in the access of political party representatives to public media, lead to a thesis on the formation of electoral democracy in Poland, which can be described as a democratic system devoid of liberal values. It is characterised by restrictions on freedom of association, freedom of speech and academic freedom, electoral distortions, unequal access of representative political parties to the public media and judicial guarantees related to the electoral process.

DA RESTRIÇÃO À REDENÇÃO: A Trajetória Feminina no Processo Eleitoral

The history of women in politics is marked by a constant struggle against discrimination, violence, and exclusion. From the achievement of suffrage in 1932 (and its constitutionalization in 1934) to their current underrepresentation, women have faced enormous challenges in fully exercising their political rights. This article explores the historical processes of female participation in politics and electoral processes, highlighting how the patriarchal structure has distanced them from these spaces, creating an environment of hostility and resistance. However, we also address the progress made in this process, which is the result of women’s persistent fight for rights and representation. In this context, the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) emerges as an important active agent in promoting a more equal and representative political environment, implementing measures not only to bring women closer but also to enable and ensure their presence in these spaces. Therefore, we will analyze the progress and challenges surrounding female participation in politics, as well as the TSE’s role in this process.

ANALYSIS OF THE INSTITUTIONAL CONDITIONS OF ELECTIONS IN RUSSIA

The article examines the evolution of the institutional framework of the electoral process in Russia since the early 1990s. The main changes in the system of elections of deputies of the State Duma, governors and municipal authorities, as well as in the field of party building, are analyzed. The article concludes that in recent years there has been a tendency in Russia to liberalize electoral legislation and increase the role of political parties in the electoral process.

Makna Sampul Majalah Tempo tentang Pemilihan Umum edisi Januari 2024

Tempo magazine covers use strong visuals and striking illustrations to highlight the main topics of each issue. This research analyzes the visual meaning of three covers of the January 2024 edition of Tempo magazine—"Angan-anganan Satu Lapir," "Omon-omon Bansos," and "Operator President Jokowi"—using Charles Sanders Pierce's semiotic theory and visual analysis. This study examines elements such as illustrations, typography, colors and symbols on the cover to reveal the messages and themes conveyed. Qualitative methods are used to explore the message the magazine wants to convey. The research results show that cover design with the right use of color, typography, layout, visual identity, illustrations and infographics plays an important role in shaping readers' perceptions. Colors such as dark red and white reflect political pressure and honesty, while light blue creates a sense of stability. These symbols are effective in conveying the political dynamics of the 2024 Presidential Election in Indonesia and the impact of loyalty to President Jokowi on the election process and support for his son's candidacy.

Patronage and low competency of members as causes of weak implementation of the functions of the village consultative body in realizing a self-governing community

Law Number 6 of 2014 concerning Villages mandates the Village Consultative Body (BPD) as a partner of the village government in empowering village communities to achieve self-governing communities. Referring to the Village Development Index (IDM) in Malang Regency, even though there are no villages classified as very underdeveloped or underdeveloped, there are still more than 61.6% (233 villages) classified as developing, while there are 33.1% (125 villages) classified as developed, and 5.3% (20 villages) are classified as independent. Departing from this phenomenon, this research aims to describe how the BPD functions are implemented in villages classified as developing in Malang Regency under the mandate of Law No. 6 of 2014. Using a qualitative approach, research data collection was carried out using depth-interview and focus group discussion (FGD) techniques. Data analysis uses the stages proposed by Cresswell. The research results indicate that the implementation of the functions and roles of BPD in the research object villages is less effective. Patronage and the low competence and capacity of the average BPD members, as a result of a less focused election process, minimal education, training, and technical guidance, and a very inadequate development budget, are the causes of the ineffective implementation of the roles and functions of BPD members. The ineffective function of the BPD breaks hopes for increased democratization and participation of village communities in efforts to achieve a self-governing community in Malang Regency.

Enhancing Electoral Integrity: Implementation of a Secure E-Voting Platform

This paper proposes the design and implementation of a secured e-voting system intended to innovate the electoral process, thereby improving voters' Technologies: I.INTRODUCTION participation in elections. Traditional methods of voting have a number of drawbacks regarding logistics inefficiency, accessibility to voters, and security issues. The proposed e-voting system will help solve these problems by offering a digital platform that will ensure secured, efficient, and accessible voting. The system has been developed in Java, JSP, and MySQL; it has a highly user- friendly interface, a robust backend processing system, and data managed safely. The system is secured to allow access only to the authorized voter by its OTP-based authentication mechanism via SMS gateway. In fact, such a model of two- factor authentication considerably reduces unauthorized access and hence enhances the security for the voting process. All votes are encrypted before storage to maintain confidentiality and integrity of data for the voters using the system. The architecture of the system is such that it is scalable, hence, capable of responding to simultaneous requests from a high volume of users with no degradation of performance. Extensive testing gives evidence of the system's reliability and efficiency in different scenarios, hence allowing it to suit all parameters that ensure a secure, as well as transparent, electoral process. Introducing contemporary technology into the context of voting, this e-voting system has great potential to revolutionize how elections are conducted and guarantee more participation while securing the integrity of the election outcome in the digital era. INDEX TERMS : Online Voting , Secure Voting Platform, Voter Authentication, OTP Verification, SMS Gateway, Encryption, Web Application Development, Voting Results , Election Management System

MUSLIM COMMUNITIES IN THE USA AND WESTERN EUROPE: PATTERNS OF ELECTORAL BEHAVIOR

The year 2024 will see electoral events of particular importance: not only will they, like those that preceded them, determine the direction of development of socio-political life in the United States and Western Europe for at least the next four years, but they will also most likely influence the political situation in the world as a whole, especially in Europe (the conflict around Ukraine) and the Middle East (the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation, tensions around Iran). Due to demographic and other factors, Muslim communities on both sides of the Atlantic play an increasingly important role in these electoral processes. The article examines the models of their electoral behavior under the influence of various concepts and mechanisms of their adaptation in the respective societies – the «melting pot» in the United States and «multiculturalism» in Western Europe. Today, Kamala Harris appears to be a consensus figure for most American Muslims, which increases her chances in the November 2024 elections.

Toward Digital Election in Indonesia: Cost Effectiveness Analysis of IVORI (Internet-Voting Republik Indonesia) as an e-Voting System

The election in 2019 was held simultaneously, where people directly elected the DPR, DPD, Provincial/Regency/City DPRD, President and Vice President on April 17, 2019. All the changes in the implementation of elections in Indonesia since 1999, all of them are still carried out using paper. The history of the simultaneous elections in Indonesia in 2019, which were quite expensive, is a consideration for a more sustainable election process. Since the beginning of this century, internet voting has become the most straightforward and prevalent electoral reform adopted by many countries, with the goal of lowering voting expenses by enhancing convenience. This study aims to compare the Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) of conventional elections using paper ballots with digital-based elections using internet voting (I-voting) and we also developed a prototype of a digital election system called IVORI (I-Voting Republik Indonesia). The results show that elections using the I-voting system are proven to be 71% more cost-effective than conventional systems. IVORI is an internet-based digital election web application that offers two features, namely "VOTING" which will only be active on election day for voters who are eligible to vote and have been previously registered so that they can log in to the application using their ID number and voting station code and the "INFORMASI KANDIDAT" feature which can be accessed by voters during the candidate's campaign period which contains information about the background and work program plans of each candidate.

PEMILIHAN DAN PENGANGKATAN KEPALADESA TANJUNG MUARA YANG BERADA PADASEL DI BENGKULU UTARA DITINJAU DARIUNDANG – UNDANG NO. 6 TAHUN 2014TENTANG DESA

The election and appointment of the Village Head in Tanjung Muara Village were conducted in a prison cell because the elected Village Head was charged with corruption. The problem formulation in this article is how the implementation of the election and appointment of the Village Head of Tanjung Muara, North Bengkulu was carried out and whether the implementation was in accordance with the Village Head Election Regulations. This study uses a Normative Method, which aims to describe the research object and utilizes Secondary Data processed qualitatively and concluded deductively. The discussion results show that although the village head election was conducted according to the applicable regulations, the corruption case involving the elected village head created legal obstacles. The legal issues arising from the corruption case affected the election process, but legal procedures were still followed to ensure legal certainty. In conclusion although the election and appointment process complied with the regulations, the legal issues faced by the elected village head impacted the implementation and necessitated the appointment of an interim acting official.

The Influence of Work Motivation on Bawaslu Employees in Bogor Regency on Public Satisfaction

Motivation is a factor that encourages a person to carry out certain activities, therefore motivation is often interpreted as a factor driving a person's behavior. Motivated employees tend to work better in carrying out their duties. Public satisfaction with Bawaslu's performance is an important indicator of Bawaslu's success in carrying out its duties. People who are satisfied with Bawaslu's performance tend to have higher trust in the election process. This study uses a quantitative approach with Work Motivation (X) and Public Satisfaction (Y) as variables. It sampled 18 employees and 18 public members using observation, interviews, and questionnaires. The correlation between work motivation and p satisfaction was 0.351, indicating a weak influence. The t-test showed no significant effect (tcount = 1.486, ttable = 1.746). The coefficient of determination (R²) was 0.121, meaning work motivation affects public satisfaction by 12.1%.

2024 Election Reflections: Political Ambition and Legal Defeat

The 2024 election in Indonesia faces significant challenges related to political ambitions and legal defeats, which have impacted the integrity and implementation of the election process. Political ambitions from candidates and political parties often lead to violations of election rules, including the spread of misleading information and manipulation of voting results. Legal defeats, such as violations of campaign rules and the inability of law enforcement to handle these cases, undermine public trust in the democratic system and law enforcement institutions. This article examines the impact of these legal defeats and provides recommendations for reforms in election regulations, increased law enforcement, transparency, and political education. Comprehensive reform efforts are needed to ensure fair elections and increase public trust in the democratic process in the future

Digital Democracy: Enhancing Democratic Participation and Political Transparency Through Digital Technologies

Digital democracy, facilitated by advancements in digital technologies, offers transformative potential for enhancing democratic participation and political transparency. This paper examines the application of digital voting systems and online citizen participation platforms in modern democratic processes. By leveraging these technologies, we can significantly improve voter accessibility, streamline election processes, and foster more inclusive civic engagement. Additionally, digital tools such as open data initiatives, transparency portals, and digital accountability mechanisms can enhance governmental transparency and accountability. However, challenges such as security concerns, digital divides, and misinformation must be addressed to fully realize the benefits of digital democracy. Our analysis underscores the need for robust security measures, inclusive access strategies, and continuous innovation to ensure the effective implementation and sustainability of digital democratic practices.

How Runoff Elections and the Form of Local Administration Affect the Costs of Elections

To what extent do states’ administrative and policy choices affect their election costs? Previous scholarship highlights how the costs and demand sides of the public sector cost model correlate with election administration spending, and more recent evidence has added political considerations such as the partisanship of county commissions. Using Georgia’s unique election processes—runoff elections and multiple methods of election administration at the county level—we contribute to understanding election administration expenditures. We demonstrate that general election runoffs and Boards of Election, rather than probate judge-run elections, are related to significant increases in expenditures per registered voter between 2014 and 2020. This further develops the literature regarding procedural costs and the impact of the managerial capacity of election bureaus.

Computer Network Design and Applications for West Java Legislative Elections

Legislative elections or Pileg are an annual schedule that is routinely held in Indonesia for five years. The concept of technology 4.0 has a huge opportunity to be applied in the legislative election process in this modern era. Legislative elections that use digital devices connected in such a way have more advantages than legislative elections that use conventional methods. The application of technology 4.0 in legislative elections has advantages in terms of effectiveness, data processing speed, and costs. The design of the legislative election system is made using a network where each polling station will be provided with one server to accommodate votes at the polling station. Then the server synchronizes the data to a central server to calculate the final results obtained. The server is built using the text-based Ubuntu Linux operating system. The application used is web-based, with the programming languages used being HTML, PHP, CSS, and Javascript. The test data shows that the time required for the system to complete each stage of the legislative election process is relatively faster than conventional legislative elections. So it can be concluded that the design of the legislative election system has met the requirements to accelerate the legislative election process. This research uses an SDLC system with a prototype model. Tests are carried out using BlackBox testing to test the suitability of the application with application access.

Boosting Novice Voters: Strategy of the Independent Election Commission for the 2024 General Election in West Aceh District

This comprehensive study examines the strategies employed by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) to boost the participation of novice voters in the pre-election phase leading up to the 2024 General Election in West Aceh District. Novice voters aged 17 to 21 play a significant role in measuring electoral efficacy and vitality. Recognized by political stakeholders, their engagement affects the electoral landscape due to their diverse characteristics and challenges compared to previous generations, such as lack of interest, awareness, knowledge, and apathy. So, this research was carried out to analyze the strategies used by the IEC towards novice voters. This study adopts David's (2004) strategy theory in strategic management, which includes formulation, implementation, and evaluation. Conducted in West Aceh Regency, this study examines the initiatives and challenges of the IEC in engaging novice voters. Through careful empirical data analysis, this study aims to improve the electoral process and consolidate democracy in Indonesia. The research findings reveal insights into the effectiveness of the IEC's strategies and highlight areas for improvement. This study provides valuable insights for future election planning, encouraging more equitable and inclusive practices. However, several problems in its implementation need to be resolved, mainly the need for more human resources and budget.

OS IMPACTOS DAS FAKE NEWS POTENCIALIZADO PELA INTELIGÊNCIA ARTIFICIAL NOS RESULTADOS DE CAMPANHAS ELEITORAIS

Considering that innovation technology brings benefits, but also negative impacts on society and human relations, a bibliographic study was carried out with the objective of investigating the influence of the use of artificial intelligence algorithms to disseminate Fake News on public opinion, as well as the their decision-making in the process of choosing candidates for majority positions, which may compromise the integrity of the electoral process. A bibliographic review was carried out on the object of study, based on the systematic reading of scientific articles published and selected through the Google Scholar and SCIELO databases. Furthermore, practical cases were studied in which AI was used to propagate false information in electoral contexts and possible changes in election results, exemplifying the ethical challenges faced in the application of artificial intelligence in electoral contexts, disinformation and political communication. The analysis of the results shows that the case study of recent elections indicates that the use of fake news enhanced by artificial intelligence can induce voters to make mistakes and compromise their freedom of choice in elections, directly influencing ethics and those responsible for the election. use of technological tools in society and in human relations regarding their decision-making power and choice of candidates. Therefore, there is an urgent need for government measures, regulation of social networks and digital platforms to guarantee fairer and more transparent electoral campaigns, preserving democratic integrity.

The relationship between the lifestyle health index and voter turnout during the 2020 United States presidential election in the context of regional cultures

ObjectivesThere are numerous population health challenges confronting the United States (U.S.), including the unhealthy lifestyle – chronic disease pandemics. However, the impact of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and the increased prevalence of chronic diseases that result from them affect many facets of life outside of the health domain, and their scope remains under-appreciated. The current analysis contributes to addressing this knowledge gap by comparing the newly developed Lifestyle Health Index (LHI) to U.S. county-level voter turnout rates in the 2020 presidential election. Study designDescriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective analysis. MethodsCounty-level data on the LHI, percent voter turnout, and the American Nations regional cultures model schematic was used in the current analysis. ResultsPearson correlations between county-level LHI scores and sub scores and Democratic, Republican, and overall voter turnout were all statistically significant and of similar strength (r > 0.63, p < 0.001). All counties in the worst performing LHI quartile had a voter turnout <60 %. Higher LHIs were consistently assocaited with lower voter turnout across the regional cultures, although heterogeneity was evident across the American Nations. ConclusionsA large percentage of the U.S. population is afflicted with poor health, and unhealthy lifestyle behaviors are a primary driver. Poor health does not occur in a vacuum and impacts many other facets of an individual's life. The current study further demonstrates the potential detrimental impact of poor health on civic engagement, specifically participation in the electoral process (i.e, citizens' health may influence voter turnout). Health care professionals and institutions in the U.S. should uniformly embrace the recent policy brief by the American College of Physicians on participation in the electoral process for patients receiving care. This paradigm shift has the potential to substantially improve voter turnout during U.S. elections.

DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A WEB-BASED INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR UNIVERSITY STAFF UNION

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in Nigerian public universities has long championed the welfare and interests of academic staff. However, operational inefficiencies stemming from manual processes hinder its effectiveness in addressing contemporary challenges. This inefficiency hampers ASUU’s effectiveness and limits its ability to interact efficiently with its members and stakeholders. Therefore, this study proposes that the ASUU Web-Based Information System (AWBIS) should modernize data management, communication, and decision-making within the union. Drawing on related work in online information systems across various sectors, the methodology involves requirements gathering, leading to the development and implementation of AWBIS. Leveraging development technologies, AWBIS offers modules for member management, communication, event organization, and biometric attendance. This project uses the waterfall model approach to developing software as the research methodology. The data collection techniques include interviews and questionnaires. The AWBIS enables various operations to be performed online, consisting of registering members by the admin, logging members, and allowing members to manage their profiles. The system also provides a login page for both members and admins, each with their own username and password. A secure and accessible database for storing memberprofiles, academic information, and other relevant data was created. The successful implementation of AWBIS will significantly streamline ASUU’s operations, resulting in improved communication, reduced administrative burden, and enhanced transparency. Members will have access to up-to-date information, and the system will facilitate better coordination of ASUU’s activities. Future enhancements, including financial management, election processes, loan applications, and mobile app development, are suggested to further optimize AWBIS’s functionality and accessibility. AWBIS is a model for leveraging technology to advance organizational efficiency and effectiveness within the education sector.