According to data from International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy (GSoD) Initiative, democracy in Asia and the Pacific is under significant pressure. Only a tiny minority of people in the region live in a high-performing democracy. In the face of weak parliaments and polarized electorates, judiciaries and government agencies like election management bodies have been the core institutions working against democratic decline.

This case study highlights how the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has developed strategies to identify and manage risks; adapt and respond to changing circumstances; and prepare for possible crises. 

Through formal risk and crisis management processes, scenario-based planning and well-established governance structures, the IEC has managed to maintain the integrity of electoral processes in South Africa despite several challenges, such as the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Special voting arrangements (SVAs) are not new. Initiatives to make elections more inclusive and accessible have existed since the earliest days of recognized democratic elections, and a steadily increasing number of nations employ a range of alternatives to conventional voting. 

Victoria held state elections on Saturday 26 November 2022. Six weeks previously, the state had suffered serious floods. 

The aims of this case study are, to give an overview of how the floods and related events unfolded in Victoria, and to explain the legal and institutional background of the Victoria Elections Commission, the electoral system and modes of voting, and how these were affected by the floods, likewise turnout and campaigning, and finally, to describe which risk management (and resilience-building) tools were used to address the challenges.

The year 2020 was very challenging for electoral stakeholders and administrators Indonesia; direct local elections were held simultaneously in all regions of the country amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Compounding this challenge, the 2020 direct local elections were held on 9 December, which coincides with the peak period of the rainy season in Indonesia.

Like other natural disasters, wildfires can have sudden calamitous impacts on communities, destroying buildings, damaging infrastructure and displacing populations. In this chapter we examine the Californian wildfires occurring from September 2015 to November 2018 to assess their effect on two electoral cycles in the state (2016 and 2018), and to study how electoral practitioners cope with these challenges in a developed democratic setting.