The Role Of Global Civil Society In Restoring Citizens’ Trust In Democratic Elections

Elections and electoral assistance have come close to meeting the criteria for a “global public goods challenge,” the consequences of which affect both the developed and developing worlds. This paper argues that by seeing elections not as the end result but rather a periodical reevaluation of effectiveness, NGOs can better develop programs that measure long-term effectiveness. Based on both the literature and examples of a handful of NGOs, this essay describes the nature and scope of the problem with elections and election assistance. It then looks at the ways in which transnational civil society could contribute to addressing and solving this challenge. It concluded that transnational non-governmental organizations (NGOs) could have a greater impact on this global public goods challenge by: educating stakeholders on the relationship between elections and democracy; linking electoral assistance to election observation; taking sides to uphold international electoral standards yet steering clear of partisanship; engaging national and local civil societies in long-term campaign and coverage monitoring; empowering local poll-watchers; and, using their leverage to take action against election fraud and candidate prosecution.