New Delhi: Across the world, elections faced threats from digital misinformation, gender-based violence, cyberattacks, and natural hazards in 2025, according to a report by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.
Published in collaboration with the Electoral Integrity Project, the report, Review of the 2025 Year of Elections: Inclusivity, Transparency and Trust, examined 39 countries globally that had national elections in 2025. It analysed risks facing the elections and “how electoral institutions are responding with a particular focus on inclusivity, transparency and trust.”
“The report shows that all countries, large or small, are facing challenges in ensuring that elections truly empower people,” said Toby James, professor of politics and public policy at the University of East Anglia and a co-author of the report.
“But they also show the value of drawing lessons across borders,” he added.
Misinformation, gender violence, and natural hazards
The report recorded misinformation and disinformation narratives in at least 62 per cent of the 39 national elections monitored.
In Moldova, Ireland, Côte d’Ivoire and Australia, the 2025 elections were accompanied by allegations of electoral fraud, misleading claims targeting candidates, AI-generated deepfakes, cyber-enabled disinformation and misleading political content circulating on platforms such as WeChat and RedNote.
Gender-based violence was recorded in 22 of the 39 national electoral contexts monitored, with technology often intensifying the abuse.
During elections, women candidates and election officials in countries including Ecuador, Chile and Germany faced misogynistic and racist attacks, coordinated harassment, threats, manipulated images and sexualised AI-generated content, according to the report.
The report also records natural hazards as a factor that disrupted electoral processes. These include floods, heatwaves, and tropical storms. At least 12 national and local elections in 11 countries were affected by natural hazards in 2025, according to the report.
These included elections in Ecuador, the Philippines, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and other countries.
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Election campaigns and management malfunctions
The data also recorded irregularities involving campaign spending, enforcement of existing laws, and interference by corporate and foreign interests. Election campaigns continued to be the weakest-performing stage of the electoral cycle.
Electoral management malfunctions were recorded in at least 49 per cent of the 39 national elections monitored.
“Election authorities are being asked to manage increasingly complex risks, from disinformation and violence to natural hazards and operational disruption,” said Erik Asplund, senior adviser at International IDEA.
“This report shows why anticipating these risks, strengthening institutional capacity and working with partners are essential to protecting elections and public trust,” he added.
The authors said lessons shared across countries could help election authorities strengthen institutional capacity, prepare for emerging risks and improve public confidence in electoral processes.
“This report highlights some of the important steps being taken around the world to strengthen the quality of elections, as well as issues that require attention moving forward,” Prof. Holly-Ann Garnett, one of the authors, said.
(Edited by Maryam Hassan)