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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
Afrique du SudAfrique du SudPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneRestricted
AllemagneAllemagnePaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticAny documentUniversalRestricted
ArgentineArgentinePaperJudicial onlyMixedYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDNoneRestricted
AutricheAutrichePaperJudicial onlyMixedYesYesAutomaticAny documentUniversalUniversal
BiélorussieBiélorussiePaperNoneGovernmentYesNoState-initiatedAny documentNoneUniversal
BolivieBoliviePaperNoneIndependent commissionYesYesMixednot recordedNoneRestricted
Bosnie-HerzégovineBosnie-HerzégovinePaperMandatory recountIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticAny documentRestrictedUniversal
BrésilBrésilElectronic onlyAd hocJudiciaryYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneRestricted
BulgarieBulgarieMixedJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticAny documentNoneRestricted
Cabo VerdeCabo VerdePaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneUniversal
CanadaCanadaPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesnot recordedMixedAny documentUniversalUniversal
Corée du SudCorée du SudPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDRestrictedRestricted
ÉquateurÉquateurPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDNoneRestricted
États-UnisÉtats-UnisMixedVariesMixedYesYesVoter-initiatedVariesVariesUniversal
FidjiFidjiPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDRestrictedRestricted
FranceFrancePaperJudicial onlyMixedYesYesMixedPhoto IDNoneUniversal
GéorgieGéorgieMixedMandatory recountIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDNoneRestricted
GuatemalaGuatemalaPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneRestricted
HaïtiHaïtiPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneRestricted
HongrieHongriePaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDRestrictedRestricted
IndeIndeElectronic + paper trailAd hocIndependent commissionYesnot recordedVoter-initiatedAny documentRestrictedNone
IndonésieIndonésiePaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesState-initiatedPhoto IDnot recordedUniversal
IsraëlIsraëlPaperJudicial onlyJudiciaryYesNoAutomaticPhoto IDNoneRestricted
KenyaKenyaPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneRestricted
La GambieLa GambieMixedAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneNone
LettonieLettoniePaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDRestrictedUniversal
LituanieLituaniePaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDRestrictedUniversal
MalawiMalawiPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatednot recordedNoneNone
MarocMarocPaperJudicial onlyGovernmentYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneRestricted
MexiqueMexiquePaperMandatory recountIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDRestrictedRestricted
MoldovaMoldovaPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticAny documentnot recordedUniversal
MozambiqueMozambiquePaperJudicial onlyMixedYesYesVoter-initiatedAny documentNoneRestricted
NicaraguaNicaraguaPaperNoneGovernmentNoNoState-initiatedPhoto IDNoneNone
NigeriaNigeriaPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneNone
Nouvelle-ZélandeNouvelle-ZélandePaperMandatory recountIndependent commissionYesYesMixedNoneRestrictedRestricted
PakistanPakistanPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesState-initiatedPhoto IDRestrictedNone
PhilippinesPhilippinesElectronic + paper trailMandatory recountIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatednot recordedRestrictedUniversal
PolognePolognePaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticAny documentRestrictedUniversal
RoumanieRoumaniePaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDRestrictedUniversal
Royaume-UniRoyaume-UniPaperJudicial onlyMixedYesnot recordedVoter-initiatedPhoto IDVariesRestricted
RussieRussieMixedNoneGovernmentYesNoState-initiatedPhoto IDRestrictedUniversal
SénégalSénégalPaperJudicial onlyMixedYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneUniversal
SerbieSerbiePaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDNoneRestricted
SlovaquieSlovaquiePaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticAny documentRestrictedRestricted
Soudan du SudSoudan du SudPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedAny documentNoneRestricted
SuèdeSuèdePaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticAny documentRestrictedUniversal
TaïwanTaïwanPapernot recordedIndependent commissionYesnot recordedState-initiatedPhoto IDNoneNone
TürkiyeTürkiyePaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDNoneUniversal
UkraineUkrainePaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDNoneUniversal
VenezuelaVenezuelaElectronic + paper trailAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneRestricted
ZambieZambiePaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneNone

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”.