Local Perceptions and Media Representations of Election Observation in Africa
Overview
Description
English
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Election observers have had some successes in detecting and deterring certain types of electoral malpractice and have played a central role in helping to spread basic election technologies across Africa.
However, during several recent elections in Africa, questions have been raised about the competency and partiality of observation missions, and about the future of observation both on the continent and elsewhere.
In this context, this project improves understandings, for both academics and practitioners, of election observation in two areas:
Firstly, it investigates local perceptions on a range of issues relating to election observation missions. Despite the fact that citizens in the countries that host election observation missions are one of election observation's major intended beneficiaries, their views are generally overlooked in the academic literature and by many election observation missions. In addressing this gap, the project develops understandings of how people in host countries evaluate the goals, performance, and methods of both international and domestic election observation initiatives.
Secondly, this project investigates how information produced by, and relating to, election observation missions circulates via traditional and social media, as well as the ways in which it can be distorted through this process.
The findings are of particular relevance to observer groups, as local perceptions are central to the question of the credibility of election observers - and ultimately their ability to do their work effectively.
They also have a broader importance as they will allow for the views of non-elite Africans to be better represented in academic and policy debates on the topic of election observation, which are currently dominated by European and North American perspectives.
Research has been conducted during national elections in three countries: Zambia (August 2021), Gambia (December 2021) and Kenya (August 2022). Research in Zambia was conducted in partnership with the Southern African Institute for Policy and Research (SAIPAR). In Gambia, it was conducted in partnership with the Center for Research & Policy Development (CRPD), while in Kenya it is still being conducted in partnership with Racheal Makokha at the Technical University of Kenya.
Research team
Principal Investigator: Thomas Molony - Centre of African Studies, University of Edinburgh
- Robert Macdonald - Centre of African Studies, University of Edinburgh
- Marja Hinfelaar - Southern African Institute for Policy and Research
- O’Brien Kaaba - Southern African Institute for Policy and Research & Department of Public Law, University of Zambia
- Sait Matty Jaw - Center for Research & Policy Development
- Racheal Makokha - Technical University of Kenya
Project outputs
Can domestic observers serve as impartial arbiters?
Robert Macdonald and Thomas Molony
Tips for Journalists and Editors who Cover Election Observation
Thomas Molony and Robert Macdonald
Media Representations of Election Observation in Africa - Summary Findings
Thomas Molony and Robert Macdonald
Local Perceptions of Election Observation in Africa - Summary Findings
Robert Macdonald and Thomas Molony
Democratization (peer reviewed article) - 'Can domestic observers serve as impartial arbiters?: evidence from Zambia’s 2021 elections' by Robert Macdonald and Thomas Molony
The Journal of Eastern African Studies (peer reviewed article) - 'A comparison of the role of domestic and international election observers in Zambia’s 2016 and 2021 general elections' by O'Brien Kaaba, Marja Hinfelaar and Koffi Sawyer
On 9 November 2022, Thomas Molony and Robert Macdonald presented the project's preliminary findings during an Election Observation Research Network (ELECTOR) virtual meeting. A recording of this can be found on the ELECTOR website (under the heading Session 1: ‘Local Perceptions and Media Representations of Election Observation in Africa: Some preliminary findings’).
African Arguments (blog) - How election observers facilitated Zambia’s smooth change of power by Robert Macdonald
African Arguments (blog) - Why the people picked Barrow again in Gambia’s best-run elections ever by Sait Matty Jaw
African Arguments (blog) - Gambian voters show unpredictability again to deliver first hung parliament by Sait Matty Jaw
The Conversation (blog) - Election observers are important for democracy – but few voters know what they do by Thomas Molony and Robert Macdonald
The East African (newspaper article) - Election observers are important, but few voters know what they do by Thomas Molony and Robert Macdonald
Project funding
This project is funded by the UK's Economic and Social Research Council.
