Unmasking Election Meddlers: Information Manipulation in Elections and How to Combat It

Information manipulation in elections is becoming an increasingly common phenomenon.  Autocratic political actors often tend to directly or indirectly engage in different manipulation tactics to preserve power, come to power, or attack the legitimacy of election outcomes. However, many countries worldwide have started to face election manipulation attempts only recently, especially those that are considered to be consolidated democracies. The current global expansion of malign interferences in elections is connected to the meddling of illiberal foreign actors who tend to spread their presence and influence. Simultaneously, strategies and tactics are also evolving, especially with new technologies. What are the most common election manipulation tactics? Who are the actors that nowadays pose the greatest threat to election integrity? By examining the comparative practices from around the world, this panel will explore the vulnerability of elections to evolving manipulation techniques that tend to disrupt democratic decision- -making and globally endanger democracy.

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