International election monitors can help boost people’s trust in the electoral process − but not all work the same way

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Sarah Bush, University of Pennsylvania and Lauren Prather, University of California, San Diego

(THE CONVERSATION) U.S. elections are free, fair and secure, research shows – but about 20% of Americans still said in a September 2024 Gallup survey that they are “not at all confident” that the presidential election results will be accurate.

Faith has been declining in the integrity of U.S. elections in recent years, and the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection revealed how deadly and dangerous this mistrust can be.

Most countries in the world, from Bolivia to Sierra Leone, invite independent international election monitors – people who visit polling sites and monitor the technologies voters use to cast their ballots – to promote election integrity and public confidence in...