What is electoral malpractice and what are its consequences
What is electoral malpractice? How often does this process interfere with elections? Electoral malpractice is one of the means involved in dirty games of politicians.
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How many times in your life you took part in voting and electing a person to represent your organization, city or country? Perhaps, you have already noticed a strange fact that sometimes the results seem to be obvious and predictable, but change at the last moment. Moreover, you see a person you could hardly ever expected to be a leader as the winner!
How does it happen? Everything is simple. It is the result of the influence of electoral malpractice. In this article, we will define and explain electoral malpractice influence and its consequences.
What is the meaning of electoral malpractice?
The mechanism of conducting any elections is called the electoral bodies. This organ holds and controls the process of fair elections. The Constitution and specially established legislation define the key features of choosing a head of state or a leader.
Merriam-webster.com and other dictionaries define electoral malpractice as an injurious, negligent, or improper practice in the process of elections.
This illegal interference aims to increase the number of votes for the favored candidate, and decrease the vote share of the rest candidates.
Many types of electoral malpractice are prohibited by electoral law. Technically the term “election fraud” covers only those actions that are illegal, because they break the principles of democracy.
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Types of electoral malpractice
- a person voting several times at several polling stations;
- intimidation;
- stealing materials used during elections such as bulletins, boxes with bulletins, etc.;
- vote buying.
Now that you know the definition of the notion of electoral malpractice, learned the major types of it, let’s figure out the consequences of electoral malpractice, so you could see that this
practice is one of the enemies of democracy.
Consequences of electoral malpractice
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When electoral malpractice happens in small on a small scale, one can slightly feel its influence. However, when the wrongdoing affects the elections, electoral materials and electorate in a significant way, it may lead to serious consequences within the level of state government.
Main consequences of electoral malpractice are the following:
- When a candidate comes on a leading position through election malpractice, people may arrange riots as the sign of disagreement. Sometimes, the level of such a desire to see another leader may cause violent standoff.
- Civil unrest undermines the reputation of organizations suspected of fraud and ruins the prospects of future relations between the various communities, which build the nation.
- The main culprits of stagnation and destructive processes are observed within the country and in the management apparatus still possess power.
- Violence. This tool is used to weaken the strength and power of other organizations that do not agree with the election results.
- Electoral malpractice has a negative effect on the confidence of voters in the elective procedure. Thus, it leads to political apathy and low voter turnout the next year.
- Fraud on elections brings immense harm to the administrative institutions which are in charge of the election process.
READ ALSO: Reasons for political apathy in Nigeria
Photo: www.bbc.co.uk
The elections are a too serious matter to be overlooked. According to the Constitution, each person has a right to give his vote for the person he trusts and expects positive changes from.
Do not let other people get you involved in any type of malpractice. Use your possibility on elections to change your life and start living in the country of your dreams!
READ ALSO: Electoral malpractices in Nigeria: causes, effects, and solutions
Source: Legit.ng
