Electoral Fraud Research Articles

The Legal Dilemma Of Deepfakes: Ai Liability And The Challenges Of Digital Identity Theft

The European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act) defines a "Deep Fake" as an “AI-generated or manipulated image, audio, or video content that mimics existing persons, objects, places, or other entities or events, creating a false appearance of authenticity or truthfulness to viewers.” In other words, Using machine learning algorithms, the bogus videos are transformed into realistic videos. Several AI-related catastrophes, including automated car accidents that resulted in physical injuries, robots causing harm to labourers, AI-assisted online privacy assaults, AI-assisted fraud that involves face, speech, or signature imitations, AI-assisted digital fingerprints falsely classifying innocent people as criminals at airports, and AI-assisted fraud in elections, have made headlines. Cryptographic signing and the hashing of a video into a fingerprint are used to confirm and reconfirm whether a video came from its original source. Many strategies for detecting deepfake videos have been developed over the last decade as a result of the rising threat of these videos. However, the fundamental issue with such procedures is that they are inaccurate and time-consuming. It also brings additional concerns such as misinformation and disinformation. The deep fakes raise concerns regarding digital identity theft. Identity theft, a criminal offence under the laws of most countries, including India, is addressed in the digital context under the Information Technology Act. However, as deepfakes are generated using artificial intelligence, the issue of fixing liability becomes increasingly complex. Commentators have argued that existing legal liability concepts may fail to address future conflicts involving AI systems. The challenge with the current legal system is primarily posed by AI systems that function without human interaction, but also by AI systems that operate with minimal human assistance. The current legal framework does not clearly define whether artificial intelligence can be regarded as a legal person, which complicates the issue of determining the extent of AI liability for the creation and dissemination of deepfakes. This ambiguity presents significant risks to the protection of digital identities, highlighting the need for a thorough review of existing laws to ensure they are adequately equipped to tackle the unique challenges posed by AI-generated content.

Fingerprint Based Voting System Using IOT

The “Fingerprint Voting System[3] Using IOT” is an innovative approach to enhancing the security, reliability, and efficiency of the voting process. This system integrates biometric fingerprint recognition with IOT (Internet of Things) technology to create a secure, user-friendly, and tamper-proof voting mechanism. Traditional voting systems are often vulnerable to identity fraud, ballot manipulation, and delays in result compilation. By leveraging fingerprint biometrics, the system ensures that each voter can only cast one vote, thereby eliminating the possibility of voter fraud and multiple voting. The system operates as follows: each voter is required to authenticate their identity through fingerprint scanning before accessing the voting platform. The fingerprint data is matched with a pre-existing voter database to verify eligibility. Once authenticated, the voter is granted access to the digital ballot system, where they can securely cast their vote. The IOT component connects the voting terminals to a centralized server over a secure network, ensuring real-time data transmission and immediate updates to the voting status.

Perceptions of Electoral Integrity and Election-Related (Non-)Compliance: Evidence from Germany

What if citizens feel that election outcomes are the result of electoral manipulation and fraud rather than the outcome of a genuinely democratic process? Do they still obey the laws and regulations of newly elected governments, or do they refuse to give governments their allegiance? Analyzing individual-level survey data from Germany, this study sheds light on the nexus between electoral integrity perceptions and compliance. It shows that citizens who perceive the integrity of elections as compromised are more likely to view election-related non-compliance justified. Moreover, citizens’ views concerning the fairness of elections and the justifiability of election-related non-compliance matter for their law-abiding behavior in other domains: Those who consider the electoral process fraudulent and election-related non-compliance justifiable adhere less often to governmental regulations pertaining to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings entail important implications for effective democratic governance and questions of electoral backsliding and democratic erosion more generally.

Federal State Relation and Free and Fair Elections in Nigeria.

The conduct of free and fair elections was a cornerstone of democratic governance, and in Nigeria, this required a concerted effort between federal and state governments. This paper adopted a descriptive contextual analysis to explore the necessary level of interaction between these governmental layers to ensure electoral integrity, with a focus on the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria. The contextual analysis method involves examining the electoral framework, historical election data, government policies, and stakeholder interactions. This method allows for a comprehensive understanding of the complex dynamics that influence electoral integrity in Nigeria. Key sources included publications from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), reports from international election observers, and scholarly articles on electoral processes in Nigeria. This research identified critical areas where enhanced collaboration between federal and state authorities could mitigate electoral malpractices and improve election outcomes. At the federal level, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was responsible for overseeing national elections, while state electoral commissions managed local elections. The interaction between these entities was crucial for harmonizing electoral processes, ensuring uniformity in the application of laws, and maintaining a consistent standard of electoral conduct across the nation. Effective coordination facilitated better resource allocation, improved security measures, and enhanced voter education initiatives. Despite the established electoral system, Nigeria faced several challenges, including electoral violence, voter intimidation, ballot box snatching, and vote buying. These issues eroded public confidence in the electoral process and hindered the realization of genuinely democratic outcomes. This study proposed several solutions to address these problems, emphasizing the need for a multi-faceted approach. Key solutions included strengthening the legal framework to deter electoral offenses, enhancing the capacity and independence of electoral bodies, deploying technology for transparent and efficient vote counting, and fostering a culture of political accountability. Additionally, public awareness campaigns and civic education programs were essential to empower citizens to demand electoral integrity and resist corrupt practices. The level of interaction needed by the federal and state governments in Nigeria to ensure free and fair elections was substantial and multifaceted. By fostering robust collaboration, enhancing the electoral system, and addressing systemic issues through comprehensive reforms, Nigeria could achieve more credible and transparent elections. This study provided a roadmap for policymakers, electoral bodies, and civil society organizations to work together towards this goal, ultimately strengthening Nigeria's democratic foundations.

Does the Rise of the Global South Weaken Democracy? The Pivotal Case of the 2024 Presidential Elections in Venezuela

It is a common critique of the Global South that its rising protagonism is a tool for authoritarian forces. The prominent role of authoritarian countries in coalitions such as BRICS and the Non-Aligned Movement, which claim to represent the Global South, has strengthened this concern. To shed light on those issues, this paper provides an in-depth case study of the 2024 elections crisis in Venezuela and the role of the Global South in resolving it. The question asked is to what extent countries identifying with the Global South were able to simultaneously promote democracy and adopt a foreign policy identity aligned with the Global South. The paper shows how the position and action of different Global South countries differed significantly, from an outright rejection of the fraudulent elections, to their endorsement. There were also concerted efforts by countries strongly identifying with the Global South to facilitate a democratic solution. The main argument developed is that a Global South narrative’s interweaving of anti-imperialism and opposition against foreign interference with opposition against liberal democracy promotion has left a limited space for democracy advocacy among countries with a Global South identity. This may weaken democratic forces among Global South countries in the future.

Corrupted Votes and Rule Compliance

Allegations of voter fraud accompany many real-world elections. How does electoral malpractice affect the acceptance of elected institutions? Using an online experiment in which participants distribute income according to majority-elected rules, we show that those who experience vote buying or voter disenfranchisement during the election are subsequently less likely to voluntarily comply with a rule. On average, the detrimental impact of electoral malpractice on compliance is of the same magnitude as removing the election altogether and imposing a rule exogenously. Our experiment shows how corrupting democratic processes impacts economic behavior and sheds light on factors that may underlie “rule legitimacy.” (JEL C90, D63, D72, D73, D83)

The Long Shadow of the Big Lie: How Beliefs about the Legitimacy of the 2020 Election Spill Over onto Future Elections

Abstract Has the “big lie”—the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump—shaped citizens’ views of the legitimacy of other US elections? We argue that it has. Those who believe Trump’s claim, whom we call election skeptics, lack confidence in elections for two interrelated reasons. First, because they think 2020 was inaccurately and unfairly conducted, they think that other elections will suffer a similar fate, and hence think these elections are illegitimate even before any votes are cast. Second, while most voters think elections are less legitimate when their preferred candidate loses, this effect will be especially large for election skeptics, because voter fraud gives them a mechanism to explain their candidate’s loss. Using an original panel dataset spanning the 2020 and 2022 elections, we show strong support for these hypotheses. This has important implications for our elections, and their legitimacy, moving forward.

Shocks to the System: Electoral Manipulation, Protests and the Evolution of Political Trust in Russia

Abstract How do electoral manipulation and resulting anti-fraud protests influence political trust in non-democratic contexts? I leverage the plausibly exogenous variation in the timing of a series of original surveys fielded on nationally representative samples in Russia to understand the impact of political shocks – particularly allegations of electoral fraud and post-election protests – on the evolution of trust in political institutions and individuals. This study demonstrates that allegations of excessive, blatant electoral fraud decrease trust in the autocrat. However, trust rebounds following attendant post-election protests. Finally, I examine the conditional impacts of fraud and protest on trust, finding that updating occurs primarily among those with weak political affiliation.

Using Improved Two-Source Capture-Recapture Methods In Settling Disputed Election Results

Introduction of new technology to check rigging and manipulation of election results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) raised hopes and dreams of many Nigerians, especially the new electorates, that the 2023 general election in Nigeria would be free and fair. Cross-checking INEC declared election results using this recapture model is supposed go beyond questionnaires. Sampling technique to select polling units where re-run election is to take place is necessary. They have been issues of vote suppression, rigging, manipulation or intimation in those areas would have largely been reduced. The new estimator has shown that there were no serious cases of vote suppression, manipulation or intimation by any political party, as far as this Local Government Area is concerned. If there were vote suppression, it is only about 1.78% which is negligible. Using simulated data, we found that efficient recapture model (Me) provides better and more reliable estimate than the conventional models.

RUSSIA’S HYBRID WARFARE IN THE WESTERN BALKANS: GEOPOLITICAL STRATEGIES AND PROXY ACTORS

This paper examines Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics against the Western Balkans, focusing on using direct and indirect methods to exert influence in the region. The study delves into Russia’s strategic use of media manipulation, cyberattacks, and disinformation campaigns, alongside its employment of proxy state and non-state actors such as Serbia, Republika Srpska, and the Serbian Orthodox Church. Leveraging historical, cultural, and religious ties, Russia seeks to destabilize the Western Balkans and prevent closer integration with NATO and the European Union. Special attention is given to the geopolitics of elections, where Russia manipulates electoral processes in countries like Montenegro and North Macedonia to favour pro-Russian or anti-Western political forces. By analyzing key case studies, this paper explores how Russian hybrid warfare exploits regional vulnerabilities—such as ethnic divisions and weak political institutions—while employing tactics of soft power and military cooperation. The findings indicate that Russia’s hybrid warfare, including electoral manipulation, poses a significant threat to regional stability and international security, underscoring the need for strengthened Western engagement to counter Russian influence. This study offers critical insights into the evolving nature of hybrid warfare and its implications for the geopolitical landscape of Southeast Europe.

The conflict within: the politics of parliamentary election management in Iran

ABSTRACT Scholars of comparative politics have long been interested in understanding conflicts that arise among elites within authoritarian contexts. Such conflicts are particularly puzzling when they occur in the context of authoritarian elections and within state administrative institutions like the electoral management body (EMB). Using previously unanalysed primary sources provided by Iran’s Ministry of Interior, which document the inner workings of Iran’s 2000 parliamentary election management, this study investigates intra-elite conflict associated with this important election. I found that within the dual EMB structure, where elected and unelected members coexist, elected administrative members can access information on irregular activities by unelected members more than those outside of this body. These information resources encourage elected members to take the risk of accusing more powerful elites – the unelected members of the regime – of electoral fraud. This is particularly evident during the reformist (moderate opposition) Presidency. My findings suggest the importance of examining intra-elite conflict within administrative institutions – EMBs – for a better understanding of political contestation within otherwise opaque authoritarian regimes.

Challenges and Solutions in Developing Election Fraud Detection Systems in India: A Review

Challenges and Solutions in Developing Election Fraud Detection Systems in India: A Review

RUSSIA’S HYBRID WARFARE IN THE WESTERN BALKANS: GEOPOLITICAL STRATEGIES AND PROXY ACTORS

This paper examines Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics against the Western Balkans, focusing on using direct and indirect methods to exert influence in the region. The study delves into Russia’s strategic use of media manipulation, cyberattacks, and disinformation campaigns, alongside its employment of proxy state and non-state actors such as Serbia, Republika Srpska, and the Serbian Orthodox Church. Leveraging historical, cultural, and religious ties, Russia seeks to destabilize the Western Balkans and prevent closer integration with NATO and the European Union. Special attention is given to the geopolitics of elections, where Russia manipulates electoral processes in countries like Montenegro and North Macedonia to favour pro-Russian or anti-Western political forces. By analyzing key case studies, this paper explores how Russian hybrid warfare exploits regional vulnerabilities—such as ethnic divisions and weak political institutions—while employing tactics of soft power and military cooperation. The findings indicate that Russia’s hybrid warfare, including electoral manipulation, poses a significant threat to regional stability and international security, underscoring the need for strengthened Western engagement to counter Russian influence. This study offers critical insights into the evolving nature of hybrid warfare and its implications for the geopolitical landscape of Southeast Europe.

Shaping the Narrative: Examining News Coverage of Voter ID Laws in the United States

ABSTRACT This study is the first to examine US news coverage of voter ID laws. Voter ID requirements are central to ongoing political debates about voting procedures. Despite rare cases of voter fraud by impersonation and the strong polarization over voter ID among partisan elites, there is a surprising broad bipartisan support for voter ID among the American public. Using a range of inductive computational content analysis methods, we analyse news coverage of voter ID requirements from 2013 to 2023. We find coverage differs by outlets political leaning and demonstrate a link between news media discourse and elite framing on the issue. Donald Trump’s voter fraud allegations, however, appear to have substantially shaped left-leaning media coverage from 2016, raising concerns around whether this might have helped amplify electoral conspiracies, instead of offering the public alternative ways of thinking about voter ID laws.

Truth and democracy in an era of misinformation.

Concern about misinformation and its toxic effects on democracy is widespread. A survey of nearly 1500 experts by the World Economic Forum ranked misinformation and disinformation (the latter being intentionally spread, whereas the former may arise accidentally) as the top global risk during the next 2 years. Examples of misinformation-fueled events abound. In the United States, baseless claims about election fraud in 2020 by the losing presidential candidate, Donald Trump, culminated in a violent insurrection against the US Capitol on 6 January 2021. At the time of this writing, Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are fearful of the future after Trump baselessly alleged on national TV that immigrants there were eating their white neighbors' pets-a racist trope dating back centuries. In the UK, right-wing mobs recently attacked mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers on the basis of the false claim that a Muslim refugee had fatally stabbed children at a dance class. The suspect was actually born in Britain, and his family regularly attended a Christian church. The list goes on.

Winners always cheat? Regional identity and the myth of a rigged 2022 Philippine presidential election

This article draws its analysis from the results of an assessment conducted in October 2022 of the May 2022 presidential election. The 2022 presidential election in the Philippines is an historical turning point not only for marking the return of the Marcos family to the country's highest office but also due to the initial claim of electoral fraud that raised concerns about the integrity of automated polling in the country. In the context of the May 2022 election, our findings do not identify any clear demographic pattern linked to a lack of confidence or skepticism regarding the credibility of the election results. Instead, compelling evidence indicates that the belief in a rigged election is limited to a specific subset of voters aligned with the geographical support base of a defeated presidential candidate. The findings contribute to nuancing electoral dynamics in the Philippines in a number of ways. First, they dispel the myth of an impaired election floated by media and other international watchdogs immediately after the election. Second, the suggest that as citizens navigate their democratic responsibilities, their regional identity becomes a lens through which the fairness, transparency, and legitimacy of the electoral system are ultimately contested.

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.

SentraGakkumdu Challenges in Enforcing Election Crimes Under Law Number 7 of 2017: A Comparative Research of Indonesia and Nigeria

General elections in Indonesia are designed to ensure equality and justice for all voters and candidates, regardless of party affiliation. Despite these principles, election violations do occur, including criminal acts, breaches of ethical standards by election organizers, and administrative violations related to election procedures. To protect the integrity of elections, which is crucial for democracy, lawmakers have classified certain electoral frauds as criminal offenses. The Election Law not only outlines the procedures for conducting elections but also prohibits actions that undermine the fairness of the process and imposes penalties on offenders. The type of research in this study is normative legal research, which is a research method that focuses on written legal norms. accompanied by a comparative study of the country of Nigeria The results showed that the small number of reports of election crimes that continued to the level of investigation, prosecution, and examination in court until the issuance of a permanent legal force decision (inkracht van gewisjde) showed that the handling of election crimes in the elections had not been effective. The same is true for Nigeria through INEC. Although INEC has the authority to initiate cases of electoral offenses, it rarely does so due to a lack of supervisory capacity due to understaffing and the inability or unwillingness of the police to collect evidence and conduct investigations.

Implementing a Three-Step Security Protocol for Advanced Online Election Systems: A Novel Approach

Organization of voting is the strength of character of all equalitarianism and system. Our country utilize an offline voting systems that are incompetent and disorganized by cause of the demand for abundant man power, and more refinement time for announcement outcome. Our Online Voting System aims at minimizing the division between traditional voting methods by facilitating and updating them. Our system makes it possible for voters to vote their favorable candidates from home through safe and stable online voting. By integrating India's Aadhaar card system and implementing OTPs (One Time Passwords) for better security, ensure a resilient and trustworthy voting process with full integrity. Once they login, voters are led through a strict authentication rules that checks for the genuineness of their ID cards before allowing them to continue. This comprehensive verification mechanism provides that only individuals who meet the requirements are able to participate thereby considerably decreasing the chance for electoral fraud. In addition to that, we also ensure that the system gives space to vote in secret and the votes are protected using strong cryptography measures. Our platform aims at fulfilling this object by leveraging advanced technologies. In this regard, we work towards a better and more egalitarian and democratic electoral system.

Sentiment Analysis of Support for the DPR's Right to Inquiry on the Issue of 2024 Election Fraud Using the Support Vector Machine Method

This research aims to analyze public sentiment towards supporting the DPR's right to inquiry in the 2024 Election fraud issue using the Support Vector Machine (SVM) method. Data was obtained from the social media application X which has a wide user base and is relevant to the issue under study. Comments on the application are classified into positive and negative sentiments after going through the pre-processing stage. The SVM method was chosen because of its high ability in text classification based on appropriate kernels. This research shows how much influence the X application has in identifying public sentiment and the effectiveness of the SVM method in sentiment classification. It is hoped that the research results will provide in-depth insight into public sentiment regarding the issue of fraud in the 2024 elections and support better decision making in the context of politics and democracy in Indonesia.