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Comparative view

Election safeguards matrix

Which countries can actually check their own count — ballot type, audit requirement, who runs the election, who may observe it, and how people register and vote. One row per country profile, read from the same records as the profiles themselves.

Audit requirements are recorded for 50 of 51 country profiles. Blank cells are gaps in this database, not findings about the country.

Election safeguards matrix
CountryBallotAuditRun byDomestic observersInternational observersRegistrationVoter IDPostalFrom abroad
Cabo VerdeCabo VerdePaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneUniversal
CanadaCanadaPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesnot recordedMixedAny documentUniversalUniversal
FijiFijiPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDRestrictedRestricted
PakistanPakistanPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesState-initiatedPhoto IDRestrictedNone
The GambiaThe GambiaMixedAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneNone
TürkiyeTürkiyePaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDNoneUniversal
ΑϊτήΑϊτήPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneRestricted
ΑργεντινήΑργεντινήPaperJudicial onlyMixedYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDNoneRestricted
ΑυστρίαΑυστρίαPaperJudicial onlyMixedYesYesAutomaticAny documentUniversalUniversal
ΒενεζουέλαΒενεζουέλαElectronic + paper trailAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneRestricted
ΒολιβίαΒολιβίαPaperNoneIndependent commissionYesYesMixednot recordedNoneRestricted
Βοσνία και ΕρζεγοβίνηΒοσνία και ΕρζεγοβίνηPaperMandatory recountIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticAny documentRestrictedUniversal
ΒουλγαρίαΒουλγαρίαMixedJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticAny documentNoneRestricted
ΒραζιλίαΒραζιλίαElectronic onlyAd hocJudiciaryYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneRestricted
ΓαλλίαΓαλλίαPaperJudicial onlyMixedYesYesMixedPhoto IDNoneUniversal
ΓερμανίαΓερμανίαPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticAny documentUniversalRestricted
ΓεωργίαΓεωργίαMixedMandatory recountIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDNoneRestricted
ΓουατεμάλαΓουατεμάλαPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneRestricted
ΕκουαδόρΕκουαδόρPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDNoneRestricted
ΖάμπιαΖάμπιαPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneNone
Ηνωμένες ΠολιτείεςΗνωμένες ΠολιτείεςMixedVariesMixedYesYesVoter-initiatedVariesVariesUniversal
Ηνωμένο ΒασίλειοΗνωμένο ΒασίλειοPaperJudicial onlyMixedYesnot recordedVoter-initiatedPhoto IDVariesRestricted
ΙνδίαΙνδίαElectronic + paper trailAd hocIndependent commissionYesnot recordedVoter-initiatedAny documentRestrictedNone
ΙνδονησίαΙνδονησίαPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesState-initiatedPhoto IDnot recordedUniversal
ΙσραήλΙσραήλPaperJudicial onlyJudiciaryYesNoAutomaticPhoto IDNoneRestricted
ΚένυαΚένυαPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneRestricted
ΛετονίαΛετονίαPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDRestrictedUniversal
ΛευκορωσίαΛευκορωσίαPaperNoneGovernmentYesNoState-initiatedAny documentNoneUniversal
ΛιθουανίαΛιθουανίαPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDRestrictedUniversal
ΜαλάουιΜαλάουιPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatednot recordedNoneNone
ΜαρόκοΜαρόκοPaperJudicial onlyGovernmentYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneRestricted
ΜεξικόΜεξικόPaperMandatory recountIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDRestrictedRestricted
ΜοζαμβίκηΜοζαμβίκηPaperJudicial onlyMixedYesYesVoter-initiatedAny documentNoneRestricted
ΜολδαβίαΜολδαβίαPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticAny documentnot recordedUniversal
Νέα ΖηλανδίαΝέα ΖηλανδίαPaperMandatory recountIndependent commissionYesYesMixedNoneRestrictedRestricted
ΝιγηρίαΝιγηρίαPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneNone
ΝικαράγουαΝικαράγουαPaperNoneGovernmentNoNoState-initiatedPhoto IDNoneNone
Νότια ΑφρικήΝότια ΑφρικήPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneRestricted
Νότια ΚορέαΝότια ΚορέαPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDRestrictedRestricted
Νότιο ΣουδάνΝότιο ΣουδάνPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedAny documentNoneRestricted
ΟυγγαρίαΟυγγαρίαPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDRestrictedRestricted
ΟυκρανίαΟυκρανίαPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDNoneUniversal
ΠολωνίαΠολωνίαPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticAny documentRestrictedUniversal
ΡουμανίαΡουμανίαPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDRestrictedUniversal
ΡωσίαΡωσίαMixedNoneGovernmentYesNoState-initiatedPhoto IDRestrictedUniversal
ΣενεγάληΣενεγάληPaperJudicial onlyMixedYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneUniversal
ΣερβίαΣερβίαPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDNoneRestricted
ΣλοβακίαΣλοβακίαPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticAny documentRestrictedRestricted
ΣουηδίαΣουηδίαPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticAny documentRestrictedUniversal
ΤαϊβάνΤαϊβάνPapernot recordedIndependent commissionYesnot recordedState-initiatedPhoto IDNoneNone
ΦιλιππίνεςΦιλιππίνεςElectronic + paper trailMandatory recountIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatednot recordedRestrictedUniversal

How to read this

These are formal rules, not an assessment of practice. A country with strong rules on paper may still administer an election badly, and a country with weak rules may run a clean one. Nothing here is scored or ranked: this database publishes no composite integrity score, because collapsing these very different columns into one number would hide exactly the distinctions the table exists to show.

“Not recorded” means this database has not yet established the rule — it is a gap in our coverage, not a finding that the safeguard is absent. A country that genuinely has no audit requirement is shown as “None”.