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Improving Electoral Integrity with Information and Communications Technology

Author

Listed:
  • Callen, Michael
  • Gibson, Clark C.
  • Jung, Danielle F.
  • Long, James D.

Abstract

Irregularities plague elections in developing democracies. The international community spends hundreds of millions of dollars on election observation, with little robust evidence that it consistently improves electoral integrity. We conducted a randomized control trial to measure the effect of an intervention to detect and deter electoral irregularities employing a nation-wide sample of polling stations in Uganda using scalable information and communications technology (ICT). In treatment stations, researchers delivered letters to polling officials stating that tallies would be photographed using smartphones and compared against official results. Compared to stations with no letters, the letters increased the frequency of posted tallies by polling center managers in compliance with the law; decreased the number of sequential digits found on tallies – a fraud indicator; and decreased the vote share for the incumbent president in some specifications. Our results demonstrate that a cost-effective citizen and ICT intervention can improve electoral integrity in emerging democracies.

Suggested Citation

  • Callen, Michael & Gibson, Clark C. & Jung, Danielle F. & Long, James D., 2016. "Improving Electoral Integrity with Information and Communications Technology," Journal of Experimental Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 3(1), pages 4-17, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jexpos:v:3:y:2016:i:01:p:4-17_00
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Berman, Eli & Callen, Michael & Gibson, Clark C. & Long, James D. & Rezaee, Arman, 2019. "Election fairness and government legitimacy in Afghanistan," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 292-317.
    2. Berman, Eli & Callen, Mike & Gibson, Clark C. & Long, James D. & Rezaee, Arman, 2019. "Election fairness and government legitimacy in Afghanistan," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 102986, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. Joshua E. Blumenstock & Michael Callen & Anastasiia Faikina & Stefano Fiorin & Tarek Ghani & Michael J. Callen, 2023. "Strengthening Fragile States: Evidence from Mobile Salary Payments in Afghanistan," CESifo Working Paper Series 10510, CESifo.
    4. Romain Ferrali & Guy Grossman & Melina Platas & Jonathan Rodden, 2022. "Who Registers? Village Networks, Household Dynamics, and Voter Registration in Rural Uganda," Post-Print hal-03994137, HAL.
    5. Callen, Michael & Gulzar, Saad & Hasanain, Ali & Khan, Muhammad Yasir & Rezaee, Arman, 2020. "Data and policy decisions: Experimental evidence from Pakistan," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).

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