When elections take place in countries transitioning from authoritarianism to democracy, from deep political crises to stability, or from war to peace, their significance is greater than usual. In such instances, elections are expected to bring legitimacy of government and contribute to consolidation of democracy, peace and stability. If, however, decisions on the timing and sequencing of transitional elections are not well- thought through, the elections can instead exacerbate tensions and thereby increase the risk of renewal of conflicts or democratic backsliding.

During 2020–2021, the Covid-19 pandemic profoundly affected elections worldwide. In the first place, fast decisions needed to be made about whether to continue with planned elections, postpone or cancel them—balancing political rights with public health and safety concerns. For elections that went ahead, the pandemic necessitated rapid adjustments.

There has been a major shift in anti-corruption strategies in both international organisations and national governments to connect political finance with corporate political activities to address the issues of money in politics in a more holistic manner. Corporate political activities such as campaign donations and lobbying have a substantive, at times, defining impact on the integrity and perceived fairness of policymaking and policy outcomes. 

Women, people with disabilities, LBGTI individuals, youth, and indigenous people face both demand-side and supply-side barriers to their participation in politics. A lack of access to political finance is one of the biggest hurdles. Funding plays an essential role in politics, and the high cost of election campaigning means that politics often does not afford equal opportunities for all to compete.

Transparency is one of the cornerstones of democracy and is at the heart of the international anti-corruption agenda. This is particularly the case concerning the finances of political parties and candidates. A lack of information on how much money circulates in and around elections, where resources are coming from and how they are spent makes it harder for the electorate to make informed decisions. It also facilitates corruption and erodes citizen trust in political institutions.

Over the last decade, digitalization has transformed many aspects of politics including political campaigning. While it has created several opportunities, it has also tested the limits of almost all aspects of regulatory framework.

Almost all countries in the world have some form of political finance regulation in place. Despite this, many challenges remain, including regulatory loopholes and ineffective implementation of political finance laws and policies. Most countries still struggle to monitor the performance of their regulatory measures in place and there is an empirical deficit in assessing and comparing the practices of political finance regulations in different country contexts. 

Election management bodies have always had to cope with the risk of natural hazards, but the threat posed by such phenomena has become more apparent in recent years. For analysis, publications, and audio content, visit the Impact of Natural Hazards on Elections multimedia report. 

Elections are complex undertakings. Regardless of where they take place, election management bodies face numerous risks in organizing them.