While most African countries hold elections, concerns over the integrity of the electoral process have led to a decline in the credibility of elections across the continent. A key issue is whether members of the electorate feel that their voice has been heard and their vote has been fairly counted.
Assessments by both Afrobarometer and International IDEA indicate strong support for democratic systems of governance across Africa, but also that populations are dissatisfied with the performance of governments, and that faith in the electoral process is declining. Perceptions of political interference, closed-door decision making, inconsistent application of election laws, lack of access to information, and misinformation and disinformation are all contributing factors to a lack of trust in the electoral process.
During a PTF-hosted webinar series on civil society organizations role in election integrity, Olufunto Akinduro, Senior Advisor for Electoral Processes, Africa Regional Programme at International IDEA, placed election integrity
within the context of democratic governance and citizen engagement, emphasizing that elections are only one part of the process.
Akinduro said the rise of autocracy, declining participation, and lack of reforms are contributing factors in mistrust of elections. CSOs play a key role in ensuring accountability, advocacy, and engagement through a whole of society approach.
“We need to redefine citizen engagement,” Akinduro said. “It’s not only that we want people to come out and vote…people want to see democracy that works. What are civil society groups doing towards that?”
Throughout the series, CSO participants identified barriers to improving engagement in the electoral process. Trust is a major issue. Perceptions of political interference in electoral management bodies (EMBs), opaque decision-making, inconsistent application of electoral laws, lack of access to information, increasing misinformation and disinformation, and weak communication all contribute to a lack of confidence in election outcomes.
Participants converged on the view that election integrity is inseparable from broader democratic governance and is increasingly under strain due to democratic backsliding, shrinking civic space, and the declining public trust in electoral institutions.
As a result of the discussions throughout the series, participants identified key roles for civil society organizations moving forward.
Adopt full electoral cycle monitoring:
CSOs should move beyond polling-day observation and conduct long-term monitoring across the entire electoral cycle, including legal frameworks, political finance, voter registration, campaigning, results management, and dispute resolution.
Defend civic space and strengthen coalitions:
CSOs should document and publicize restrictions on civil society, media, and observers, while building national, regional, and international coalitions to protect civic freedoms, observer access, and democratic participation.
Strengthen information integrity and access to information:
CSOs should advocate for freedom of information, monitor disinformation and media bias, and work with journalists, fact-checkers, and digital rights groups. Investing in voter education and media literacy is essential to counter misinformation and improve public trust.
Enhance oversight of EMBs, electoral laws, and election technology:
Civil society should monitor EMB governance, budgets, and decision-making, track changes to electoral laws, and advocate for transparency in election technology procurement, independent audits, and cybersecurity safeguards.
Promote inclusion, public trust, and coordinated advocacy:
CSOs should promote participation of women, youth, and persons with disabilities, communicate findings clearly to the public, and coordinate advocacy efforts across CSO networks to strengthen reform efforts and build long-term public trust in democratic processes.
