Gerardo de Icaza is an electoral expert with twenty-plus years of experience. He has led and participated in more than a hundred electoral observation missions in more than thirty countries. This article is based on previously published material in Spanish and from conferences presentations by the author.
Nowadays some politicians cry “fraud” even before the election. Too often the accusation has nothing to do with electoral manipulation. It has become a weapon to attack institutions, justify antidemocratic measures, and reject election results.
Election observers are the first line of defense for democratic rights and freedoms, and they work in some of the most challenging places. They deserve the same protections as human-rights defenders.
