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1Introduction
Voting in elections is one of the ways to participate politically. A meaningful election is
only if those elected have absolute power to create change and fulfill promises. Elections are
seen as competition, and significant competition must be ensured. This means all citizens should
have the right to run in any election, and all parties have a right to nominate a candidate that fits
the policies and ideology of the political party. When elections are over, the ballots are
accurately counted, and the correct results are recorded. When the winner is announced, the
result is respected. However, in recent years, elections have been more complex than first
thought, with free and fair standards under threat and questioned. This essay asks what makes an
election free and fair. This will be answered through a case study where instead of comparing
free and fair elections in Canada and the United States, the 2020 elections in Belarus are
highlighted and will justify if it is free and fair and explain why it is (or isn’t).
What makes a free and fair election?
Free and fair elections are what make democracy truly authentic and stand out from
others systems of government. Politically speaking, ‘free’ means that those entitled to vote have
the right to be registered and to vote must be free to make their own choice. It is also where
you're confident that who you vote for remains your secret and not to be shared with anyone else.
The ‘fair’ term involves all registered political parties having an equal right to contest elections,
campaign for voter support and hold meetings and rallies. Fair elections allow all people to
convince voters to vote for them. Another critical component is when all voters have an equal
registration opportunity on election day. All votes are counted, and the announced results reflect
the actual counts (Civics Academy SA). Besides participating on Election day, citizens can
, 2
participate ahead in elections, normally in advance. For example, those running for something
based on politics, such as a seat in Parliament or the municipality's mayor. Nonetheless, an
election cannot be fair if it is free, nor cannot be free if it's fair - elections need to be both fair
and free to determine which direction society wants to go, whether in a municipal, provincial or
federal setting.
According to the Civil Liberties Union for Europe, eight components further explain
what makes a free and fair election. This can be translated to all democracies of the world,
especially during election time. These standards include voter registration, having access to
reliable information, not misinformation, where all citizens can run and vote as well as not be
intimidated, voting is free from fraud, accurate counting of the ballots and the correct results
being reported, and the result must be respected (Liberties EU). There are some instances that
those standards still need to be met. As a result, it hinders the Democratic process. A notable
example comes from the United States following the 2020 election, where then-President Donald
Trump used violence to remain in power and continuously lied about the election results. Instead
of accepting defeat, he disrespects the mark and tries unconstitutional methods to stay in control
for a little longer. These components will be returned later in the paper, wherein in the following
few paragraphs, a country and its chosen election will be critically analyzed.
Belarus Overview
This case study will be based on the Eastern European country of Belarus. In terms of its
politics, Belarus is under the presidential republic system. Since 1994, it has been under the
leadership of Alexander Lukashenko, the current Belarusian president. Throughout his reign,
Lukashenko used an authoritarian way of leading the government. Belarus's people and political
opponents do not have a say in affairs that matter to them, and elections are often not free and
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