Electoral
security entails the protection of stakeholders such as voters, candidates,
poll workers, media, and observers; electoral information such as the results
of the vote, registration data and campaign material; electoral facilities such
as polling stations and counting centres; and electoral events such as campaign
rallies against death, damage or disruption. From a broad perspective, three
kinds of electoral security can be identified:
- physical security concerns the
protection of facilities and materials;
- personal security concerns electoral stakeholders; and
- information security concerns the protection of the
physical ballot papers and ballot boxes, computers and communication systems.
Weaknesses in
electoral security, especially in conflict-prone societies and those that experience
high levels of violence, will expose electoral stakeholders, information,
facilities and events to violence.[1]
Electoral
security may entail engagement and collaboration between different security
sector agencies (SSAs) such as the police force, intelligence agencies, armed
forces, special prosecutors for electoral crimes and so on. Personal security
for women in conflict-prone and post-conflict contexts deserves special
attention as women (in particular candidates and poll workers) are often victims
of election-related violence. This violence can manifest itself in many
different ways ranging from intimidation to preventing women from standing as
candidates or voting, to physical and sexual assault, and even murder.
Empirical cases:
- Bangladesh
parliamentary election 2008.
During the electoral period a total of 110 incidents of election-related
violence were recorded.[2]
Law enforcement agencies were perceived by international observers as having
played an insufficiently active role in preventing and limiting such incidents.
Interrelated
factors: poor
socio-economic conditions (external); environmental
hazards (external); unequal media access and
favouritism (internal); human rights violations (external).[3]
- Kenya
parliamentary and presidential elections 2007. Riots broke out across the country
after the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) announced the results.[4] Authorities were perceived
as being slow to act on intelligence regarding potential outbreaks of violence.
Additionally, there were instances of the alleged disproportionate use of force
against demonstrators.[5]
Interrelated factors: gender-based discrimination and
violence (external); presence of non-state armed
actors (external); poor socio-economic conditions (external).[6]
