Democratic elections allow actors holding
differing political views to compete for power peacefully. However, electoral
contests can make deeply rooted conflicts more visible, increase tensions, and
trigger violence. Striking a balance between positive and negative conflicts in
elections is important to ensure that these processes are peaceful and that the
results they yield are credible.
The
ACE Preventing Election-related Violence
topic area is devoted to assisting
interested readers in broadening their understanding of the phenomena of
election-related violence, key assessment concepts, and the prevention and
mitigation options. The target audience includes electoral management bodies,
security sector agencies, and other democracy and conflict practitioners who
have the mandate or interest to contribute to credible and peaceful elections.
