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.