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2026 journal of african elections v25n2 eisa transparent democratic governance in africa

Elite Cues and Citizens’ Doubts About Election Integrity: Preliminary Results From Africa

This paper examines doubts about electoral integrity in African countries. We focus on the supporters of losing candidates and build on growing research on this topic from other contexts. Our cross-national analysis shows that cues by elites regarding a contest significantly shape the perceptions of their supporters. Where losing candidates reject an election result, their supporters are highly likely to question the integrity of the election. This is true even when controlling for the freeness and fairness of the election as assessed by international observers. Overall, the results suggest that losing candidates have substantial ability to shape the stability of democratic rule.

2026 journal of african elections v25n2 eisa transparent democratic governance in africa

Elections do not Make a Democracy: The Transition in Chad

The paper focuses on the electoral process that was undertaken to finish the transition in Chad, which is the only Sahel state to have held elections after a putsch. The president is now internationally recognised as the elected president, and the transition is complete. At the same, time human rights violations and the lack of democracy are obvious in all decisions – yet these issues do not receive comment by the international community.

2026 journal of african elections v25n1 front cover eisa.pdf transparent democratic governance in africa

Vote Buying in Africa: Comparisons Regarding Law and Practice

Vote buying remains a key challenge to democratic elections across Africa, as it does elsewhere. This article provides an overview of the concept of vote buying and its relationship to other phenomena, such as clientelism and campaign promises. The article also reviews the legislative provisions against vote buying across sub-Saharan Africa, noting that vote buying is effectively prohibited everywhere on the continent and is often connected with serious criminal sanctions. Furthermore, the article shows that vote buying remains a common problem in elections across many African countries. As illustrations, it explores the experiences of recent elections in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Sanctions are seldom imposed, which means the deterrent effect of any sanctions provided for in law is minimised. Popular attitudes toward vote buying, as reported by various surveys, are studied. The results reveal a complex set of views, which may vary significantly across countries and within one country over time. The article concludes that the long-term solution to this challenge appears to be economic development, which would effectively remove the demand side of vote buying; however, there is no single way to eliminate vote buying in the short term.

2023 journal of african elections v23n1 eisa transparent democratic governance in africa

Democracy, Elections and Citizen Participation: The South African Experience

The discourse on the reversal of democratic dividends, which has gained momentum in the past decade and a half, focuses on the erstwhile discussion on electoral governance and the relationship between elections and democracy. In this article, I emphasise the pivotal role of citizens and the value addition of elections in a democracy. Elections, as a cornerstone of democracy, provide a platform for citizens to express their will and shape the future of their nation. The article asserts a symbiotic relationship between democracy, elections, and citizen participation. A preliminary conclusion is that democracy is about improving citizens’ circumstances, and regular elections provide the citizens with an opportunity to elect leaders who will ensure that they realise the democratic dividends. Therefore, there is a need for strengthened human rights-centred and inclusive electoral processes with meaningful opportunities and arrangements for citizens’ participation beyond voting.

2023 journal of african elections v23n1 eisa transparent democratic governance in africa

Voter Management Devices in South Africa’s Elections, 2021-2024

This paper tracks the performance of Voter Management Devices (VMDs) in South Africa from their piloting in the 2021 local government election to their adoption in the 2024 general elections. It seeks to unpack what this performance means for further modernising electoral processes in the country, and especially for the introduction of e-voting. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) argues that hand-held touch-screen electronic devices ushered in a new era for election management in South Africa. Procured for millions of rand, VMDs replaced the old Zip-Zip barcode machines used since 1998 which could not capture real-time information. They were introduced at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic posed a threat to electoral participation in the democratic world. While the IEC and some observers argue that VMDs strengthened tough health controls in the voting process during their piloting, as with most new technology they still experienced several challenges and technical glitches. Nevertheless, the IEC resolved to deploy the new devices in the 2024 general elections. Following further glitches in the general elections, two main research questions have emerged: is South Africa technologically ready to handle e-voting based on the performance of VMDs? and what can other African countries learn from South Africa regarding modernising their voting systems? Data for this study was collected using qualitative methods. This study found that political will alone is insufficient for the modernisation of voting systems. The performance of VMDs requires further scrutiny before e-voting can be successfully implemented in South Africa.

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