The first objective of this study is thus to document the amazing variety of electoral laws that have been adopted in the world, while pointing out, whenever appropriate, the most popular practices that can be observed.
The second objective is to explore some of the factors that seem to be associated with the presence or absence of various rules. We examine four such factors: region, economic development, degree of democracy, and colonial heritage. We determine the extent to which the presence or absence of a given electoral rule is associated with the region (continent) the country belongs to, its relative wealth, the strength of political rights, and its colonial heritage.
We hope that this study will contribute to a better understanding of the rules that govern the counduct of elections around the world and will provide useful information to organizations involved in the process of reviewing the legal framework under which the electoral game is being played in a given country.
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