Elections in Digital Times: A Guide for Electoral Practitioners

"The swift development of the internet, social media and Artificial Intelligence (AI) has profoundly impacted elections and democratic processes worldwide - with both benefits and drawbacks."

This handbook provides practical tools for a range of key electoral stakeholders, including the media, to allow them to better address the negative impact that the internet, social media, and artificial intelligence (AI) can have on the electoral process. Overall, it seeks to ensure the credibility of the democratic system in the digital era. Besides promoting a better understanding of the current scenario, it offers an overview of international and regional standards and commitments related to the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, political participation, and privacy issues, which are vital when considering the impact of social media and AI on elections. It also maps a series of good practices implemented by diverse stakeholders worldwide and outlines suggestions for possible action by various electoral practitioners at the frontline, which include the media.

 

As explained in the handbook, "Democracy requires free, periodic, transparent, and inclusive elections. Freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and the right to political participation are also critical to societies ruled by the respect of human rights. In today's rapidly evolving digital environment, opportunities for communication between citizens, politicians and political parties are unprecedented - with information related to elections flowing faster and easier than ever, coupled with expanded opportunities for its verification and correction by a growing number of stakeholders. However, with billions of human beings connected, and disinformation and misinformation circulating unhinged around the networks, democratic processes and access to reliable information are at risk. With an estimated 56.8% of the world’s population active on social media and an estimate of 4 billion eligible voters, the ubiquity of social networks and the impact of Artificial Intelligence can intentionally or unintentionally undermine electoral processes, thereby delegitimizing democracies worldwide. In this context, all actors involved in electoral processes have an essential role to play. Electoral management bodies, electoral practitioners, the media, voters, political parties, and civil society organizations must understand the scope and impact of social media and Artificial Intelligence in the electoral cycle. They also need to have access to the tools to identify who instigates and spreads disinformation and misinformation, and the tools and strategies to combat it." The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) conceived this handbook to provide practical tools for key electoral stakeholders in response to these needs.

The handbook is organised into eight sections: six sections dedicated to the analysis of the challenges and the general situation of elections in digital times, a section dedicated to conclusions, and a section with suggestions for possible action. Each of the first six sections includes suggested questions at the end in case the publication is used for trainings and workshops.

The chapters are as follows:

1. Introduction: Artificial Intelligence and Elections - This chapter aims to: (i) create an understanding of the concept of AI and the main issues arising from the new digital environment for democracies; (ii) familiarise readers with how an algorithm works and how it could affect freedom of expression; (iii) create an understanding of how social networks influence political discussion; and (iv) identify the challenges of AI all along the electoral cycle.

2. International Human Rights Law Framework - This chapter aims to: (i) examine the new challenges to human rights in the digital era; (ii) provide an overview of the international human rights law framework and the international standards and soft law on freedom of expression and the right to privacy; (iii) create an understanding of the impact of AI on human rights in the context of electoral processes; and (iv) set out the relevance of women's rights and political participation, freedom of expression, safety of journalists, hate speech, and the main concerns regarding democratic accountability.

3. The New Information Paradigm Law Framework - This chapter aims to: (i) identify the main characteristics of the new information paradigm, the digital divide, and the gender divide; (ii) understand the concepts disinformation, misinformation, and mal-information and the drivers behind misleading content; and (iii) examine the actors behind and the targets of disinformation during and within the electoral cycle.

4. Impact of Social Media and AI in the Electoral Cycle - This chapter aims to: (i) understand the impact of social media platforms on citizens during electoral processes; (ii) assess how algorithms can amplify misleading content; (iii) explore the concepts of voter suppression, internet shutdown, and disruption of Net neutrality via zero-rating; and (iv) examine the roles of cybersecurity and digital campaigning, and how technology contributes to increasing violence against women and journalists during elections.

5. Tackling Disinformation All along the Electoral Cycle - This section seeks to: (i) identify the measures that can be taken to tackle disinformation along the electoral cycle and in the short, medium, and long terms; (ii) examine media regulation during elections and regulation, self-regulation, and co-regulation of online content; (iii) provide an overview of codes of practice by internet intermediaries; (iv) create an understanding of the relevance of voter education and media information literacy; and (v) create an understanding of the importance of building capacities among judicial actors and addressing (online) violence against women and other vulnerable groups.

6. Good Practices and Guidance - This section seeks to: (i) provide an overview of tools for electoral administration to upgrade the capacity to tackle disinformation and enhance cybersecurity during elections; (ii) examine the relevance of public agreements with internet service providers (ISPs) and information technology (IT) companies and international cooperation in the field of cybersecurity; (iii) assess how political parties and candidates can collaborate to prevent and counter disinformation; (iv) create an understanding of the importance of collaborative fact-checking, myth-busting, trust, and credibility-enhancing initiatives and the differences between a self-regulatory approach and a hybrid co-regulatory approach to online content moderation; and (v) provide an overview of the phases of social media monitoring and the strategies to counter hate speech.

7. Conclusions - This chapter offers a list of conclusions based on the discussion in previous chapters. It looks, for example, at trust in media and journalism, the safety of journalists, digital campaigning, voter education and media and information literacy, fact-checking and content verifications, countering hate speech, and social media monitoring.  

8. Suggestions for Possible Action - This chapter provides a series of suggestions for stakeholders when considering how to address the various challenges of holding elections in the digital era. These suggestions are based on existing good practice and available guidance. However, they are not meant to be prescriptive or exhaustive, and due consideration should be given to the variance across countries and contexts in the regulation, legislation, and management of elections.