Elections are the lifeblood of any democracy, but they also represent a point of political vulnerability and uncertainty which anti-democratic forces will seek to exploit and subvert. Those opportunities have increased exponentially since the revolution in communications technology sparked by the internet.
Next year will see an unusually high number of important elections taking place internationally, including votes in the world’s largest democracy, India, and its wealthiest, the US. Elections will also be held in countries ranging from South Africa, Ghana and Mexico to Belgium and the UK. A new European Parliament will be elected in June, while an Irish general election seems possible before the end of 2024.to warn of potential Russian interference in upcoming elections.
Responsibility for protecting the integrity of the State’s elections now rests with An Coimisiún Toghcháin, the independent electoral commission established this year. The commission’s chief executive, Art O’Leary, has confirmed it has responsibility for combating all disinformation from any source during a campaign. The difficulty the commission will face is the speed with which such material can spread.