UNDERSTANDING ELECTION VIOLENCE & RELATED

NARRATIVES

This document provides an overview of the types of violence and related narratives that might occur throughout an election season. It borrows largely from Over Zero’s 2020 Building a Resiliency Network toolkit. A brief overview of types of group-targeted violence is available here. For additional insights on the overall election timeline and related risks, see Protect Democracy’s election calendar, here.

WHAT IS ELECTION VIOLENCE?
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) defines election or electoral violence as “any harm or threat of harm to any person or property involved in the election process, or the process itself, during the election period.” Election violence can involve physical violence, threats, harassment, and/or intimidation directed at voters, election officials, or candidates. It can be perpetrated by both state and non-state actors.

ELECTION VIOLENCE IS A FORM OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE:
Violence, threats, and harassment aimed at controlling or changing who benefits from, and participates fully in political, economic, and socio-cultural life.

ELECTION VIOLENCE MIGHT INVOLVE…

• Intimidation, harassment, and group-targeted violence–for instance, targeting specific groups based on their perceived political, racial, or religious identity; or targeting candidates, voters, or political parties.  
• Targeting the voting process–for instance, polling locations, counting locations, electors, key decision-makers, and so on.
• Clashes at rallies or campaign events, whether between supporters of different parties or candidates, supporters and armed groups, supporters and security forces, or when candidates are themselves targeted.
• Efforts to dispute results, including violence between protestors supporting different parties or candidates, supporters and armed groups, or supporters and security forces.
• State-sanctioned violence that intimidates civilians–whether those directly targeted or the public more broadly–from civic engagement throughout the election cycle.
• Victory violence, where the winning party and its supporters express dominance over the other party and its supporters.

WHEN MIGHT ELECTION VIOLENCE OCCUR?

Election violence need not happen only on Election Day. It can also occur in the lead-up to voting, throughout early voting, between Election Day and the results announcement, or after the results have been announced. When violence does occur, it can spark retaliatory actions, where new violence is justified as revenge or retaliation for past violence. It can also lead to government crackdowns and power consolidation. Preventing individual instances of violence from creating cycles of violence and/or undermining democracy is critical.

AHEAD OF ELECTION DAY

• Types of violence: This can involve efforts to manipulate who will turn out to vote via pressure, intimidation, threats of violence, or actual violence. Violence and/or intimidation may target marginalized groups, as well as candidates, campaign offices, or party officials; or include clashes between different candidates’ supporters.  
• Narratives: During this time, we might begin to see misinformation campaigns spreading incorrect information about registration deadlines, identification requirements, and voting procedures. We might also see narratives sowing the groundwork for later claims of voter fraud (e.g., claiming votes are being illegally cast). These narratives often tap into and reinforce existing narratives scapegoating marginalized communities.

ON ELECTION DAY

• Types of violence: On Election Day, violence or threats of violence may be used to intimidate people who are on their way to, from, or at polling locations. There may be violence at polling locations, drop box sites, and other process-related locations.
• Narratives: During this time, there may be continued misinformation campaigns intending to confuse voters around voting processes, polling locations, and hours. Narratives may also seek to intimidate people from showing up to vote, including through emphasizing the presence of armed militias and/or law enforcement at or around polling locations.

BETWEEN THE END OF VOTING AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT
OF RESULTS

• Types of violence: During this period, we may see threats, harassment, and intimidation targeting elections officials. There may also be violence targeting counting locations and certification sites. Delays in announcing the results may also create space for violence as a way of interfering in the election.
• Narratives: Campaigns may attempt to preemptively declare victory before the election has been officially called. They may also spread narratives sowing doubt in the election or claiming fraud, explaining that the only reason it is taking so long to determine a winner is because the election is being “rigged.”

AFTER RESULTS ARE ANNOUNCED

• Types of violence: After the results are announced, violence may arise from those seeking to contest the results. Violence may also target relevant people and places that are involved in official contestation of results (e.g., courts, judges). There may also be victory violence, wherein the winning candidate or their supporters seek to exert domination over the other party/candidate. This could spark revenge violence, creating a cycle of violence.
• Narratives: After the results are announced, narratives might again attempt to sow doubt in the election process and results to manipulate the outcome, including false narratives scapegoating groups as responsible for voter fraud.