Washington/Islamabad (TDI): Today as Americans cast their ballots, a shocking truth makes the rounds – the United States has the most flawed elections among all Western democracies.
According to a study by Harvard and Sydney Universities’ Electoral Integrity Project (EIP), the United States ranks 75th globally and 15th in the Americas in terms of electoral integrity.
The study reveals that the flaws in the American electoral process have become increasingly apparent in recent years.
Partisan Polarization was one of the top flaws that was identified. The widening gap between Republicans and Democrats has decreased cooperation and increased animosity, the study discovers.
Money in Politics, Voter Suppression like restricting voting rights, Gerrymandering or manipulation of electoral district boundaries for partisan gain and several other issues were identified in the electoral system.
The study said that it is damaging the legitimacy of American elections and weakening public confidence in political parties, Congress, and the government.
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Revealing investigations on previous elections it says that the contemporary tipping point in public awareness occurred during the 2000 election count, and concern deepened due to several major problems observed in the 2016 campaign, worsening party polarization, and corroding public trust in the legitimacy of the outcome.
The study under the title, ‘Why American Elections Are Flawed’ describes several major challenges observed during the 2016 U.S. elections arising from deepening party polarization over basic voting procedures, the serious risks of hacking and weak cyber-security, the consequences of deregulating campaign spending, and lack of professional and impartial electoral management.
Pippa Norris, who led the study, outlines the core concept and measure of electoral integrity, the key yardstick used to evaluate free and fair elections.
Evidence from experts and mass surveys demonstrate the extent of problems in American elections.
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She shows how these challenges could be addressed through several practical steps designed to improve electoral procedures and practices.
If implemented, the reforms will advance free and fair elections, and liberal democracy, at home and abroad.
To gather evidence about the quality of elections around the world, in 2012 the Electoral Integrity Project (EIP) was established as an independent research project based at Harvard and Sydney universities.
