Safeguarding Elections in the Digital Age: Assessing Evolving Electoral Risks and their Mitigation for Online Electoral Integrity

Authors: Terra Rolfe, Helena Schwertheim, Melanie Döring, Ellen Jacobs

Published: 17 September 2024

As part of the Digital Policy Lab, ISD organised working group meetings between March and April 2024 on the topic of assessing mitigation measures to safeguard electoral integrity. The working group consisted of DPL members representing national ministries and regulators from Australia, Canada, the European Commission, Europol, Germany, Italy, Slovakia and Switzerland. Participants also included representatives from civil society and academia. While participants contributed to this publication, the views expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of all participants or any governments involved in this project.

This Policy Brief reviews the effectiveness of key measures taken by democratic governments, the tech industry and civil society to mitigate online risks posed to electoral integrity. The analysis also explores the challenges and limitations of research in this field, based on the current understanding of existing responses by governments, online platforms, civil society and academia. While no single solution will suffice, a combination of strategies, continually assessed and refined, will be critical to safeguarding electoral integrity. Ongoing research and enhanced access to platform data are crucial for understanding and improving these efforts over time.

Throughout, the paper provides recommendations for governments, regulators, researchers and industry, who should collaborate through a multi-stakeholder approach to support a better understanding of the impact of mitigation strategies.