This article is a post from Ideal Institute by Ingrid Biscuand Hyowon Park. Here is an excerpt:

The amplitude and devastating impact of these practices were acknowledged by electoral officials in high visibility roles, from 21 countries from all regions, who participated in a two-day practitioner round table on Protecting electoral officials in the information environment organized by International IDEA.

Discussions confirmed preliminary research and cases documented by International IDEA indicating that electoral officials are targeted by disinformation and other forms of aggression in the information space, which is frequently gender-based. These attacks are part of wider strategies to undermine the credibility of the processes they manage and challenge the functional independence of the institutions they represent (electoral management bodies – EMBs). This may eventually weaken the pillars of trust in critical democratic structures, destabilize democracies and contribute to backsliding. In most cases, domestic political actors or even state leadership figures initiate or perpetuate these malign behaviours.  

A key conclusion of the round table discussion is that urgent action is needed to protect electoral officials. Critically, states and political stakeholders should commit to respecting the independence of EMBs and protecting elections in the information environment.

See full story here.