Elections are a hallmark of democracy, making them prime targets for foreign interference. Find ASD’s work on the foreign threats to election infrastructure and electoral processes, as well as steps democracies can take to secure them, on this page.
What to Watch: ASD Experts Set the Stage for Biden’s Summit for Democracy
On December 9 and 10, U.S. President Joseph R. Biden will bring together leaders from 110 countries and governments for a virtual Summit for Democracy based around three key themes: defending against authoritarianism; addressing and fighting corrupt [...]
Laura Thornton in the Washington Post: Why International Election Observers Would Give Wisconsin A Failing Grade
On Nov. 10, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Republican state lawmakers proposed a hostile takeover of election management in their state. As Johnson told the New York Times, “Unfortunately, I probably don’t expect [Democrats] to follow the rules. And [...]
David Levine in InsideNoVa: Younger Youngkin Voting Case Should Be Referred To Prosecutors
In this month’s election, Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin’s 17-year-old son tried to cast a ballot not once, but twice, despite being too young to vote, according to Fairfax County officials. His failure to cast a ballot not only reinforced the security a [...]
David Levine in the Fulcrum: The Biggest Threat to 2021 Elections Is Conflating Election Rigging with Election Vulnerabilities
While cable news and statehouses are focused on the "big lie" following the 2020 presidential election, a more insidious (and immediate) threat awaits the jurisdictions conducting elections this week: the weaponization of real vulnerabilities in ele [...]
David Levine Discusses Countering Russian Interference in European Elections with IFES
The government of the Russian Federation uses different approaches to destabilize democratic governments across Europe and encourage the rise of populist, anti-democratic regimes. In the face of this challenge, what can be done to assist countries i [...]
Russia’s Parliamentary Elections: Building Autocratic Resilience to “Foreign Interference”
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party maintained its parliamentary majority in elections marked by apparent Kremlin-directed ballot tampering. Ahead of the elections, Russian government officials and state media used unfo [...]
Russia’s Media Reach and Coverage of Candidates in Advance of the German Federal Election
Foreign actors have demonstrated an interest in Germany’s federal election this year. Of particular concern is the fact that Russian state-backed media have developed a wide reach within Germany and are actively engaging in election discourse. Since [...]
Election Q&A: David Levine Explains What Went Wrong with the Windham, New Hampshire 2020 Vote Count
Windham, New Hampshire, a town with 14,000 residents, found itself in the public eye after the 2020 election. Eight candidates ran for four open seats in the state legislature, and Republicans swept them. Kristi St. Laurent, a Democrat, requested a [...]
Information Manipulation in the German Election Campaign: Lessons Learned, Latest Findings, and the Path Ahead
This year’s German federal election poses a challenge not only to the involved candidates and their corresponding parties, but to the entire German political landscape. Several articles and reports have highlighted the susceptibility of the election [...]
Was Canada’s Election Free and Fair? David Levine Discusses with Shaye Ganam
On today's show, we talk all things federal election. We hear from Tim Uppal, Conservative candidate for Edmonton-Mill Woods on the tight race that played out there. Dr. Lisa Young a political science professor at the University of Calgary gives her [...]
Q&A with David Levine: How Can the U.S. Respond to Efforts to Subvert Democratic Processes?
Disinformation-fueled partisan “audits” have been popping up around the United States in the ten months since the 2020 presidential election. Election workers face unprecedented levels of harassment sparked by false voter-fraud claims. And 51 percen [...]
Germany is Vulnerable before the Elections but Can Still Escape Interference Attempts
Sooner or later harmful trends observed in the United States often take hold in Germany. They might not be at the scale of what Americans confront, but the telltale signs are evident even in Germany’s strong democracy. That especially applies to ele [...]