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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
ArgentinaArgentinaPaperJudicial onlyMixedYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDNoneRestricted
FijiFijiPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDRestrictedRestricted
MalawiMalawiPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatednot recordedNoneNone
PakistanPakistanPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesState-initiatedPhoto IDRestrictedNone
TaiwanTaiwanPapernot recordedIndependent commissionYesnot recordedState-initiatedPhoto IDNoneNone
The GambiaThe GambiaMixedAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneNone
TürkiyeTürkiyePaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDNoneUniversal
אוסטריהאוסטריהPaperJudicial onlyMixedYesYesAutomaticAny documentUniversalUniversal
אוקראינהאוקראינהPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDNoneUniversal
אינדונזיהאינדונזיהPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesState-initiatedPhoto IDnot recordedUniversal
אקוודוראקוודורPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDNoneRestricted
ארצות הבריתארצות הבריתMixedVariesMixedYesYesVoter-initiatedVariesVariesUniversal
בולגריהבולגריהMixedJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticAny documentNoneRestricted
בוליביהבוליביהPaperNoneIndependent commissionYesYesMixednot recordedNoneRestricted
בוסניה והרצגובינהבוסניה והרצגובינהPaperMandatory recountIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticAny documentRestrictedUniversal
בלארוסבלארוסPaperNoneGovernmentYesNoState-initiatedAny documentNoneUniversal
ברזילברזילElectronic onlyAd hocJudiciaryYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneRestricted
גאורגיהגאורגיהMixedMandatory recountIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDNoneRestricted
גואטמלהגואטמלהPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneRestricted
גרמניהגרמניהPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticAny documentUniversalRestricted
דרום אפריקהדרום אפריקהPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneRestricted
דרום סודןדרום סודןPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedAny documentNoneRestricted
דרום קוריאהדרום קוריאהPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDRestrictedRestricted
האיטיהאיטיPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneRestricted
הודוהודוElectronic + paper trailAd hocIndependent commissionYesnot recordedVoter-initiatedAny documentRestrictedNone
הונגריההונגריהPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDRestrictedRestricted
הממלכה המאוחדתהממלכה המאוחדתPaperJudicial onlyMixedYesnot recordedVoter-initiatedPhoto IDVariesRestricted
הפיליפיניםהפיליפיניםElectronic + paper trailMandatory recountIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatednot recordedRestrictedUniversal
ונצואלהונצואלהElectronic + paper trailAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneRestricted
זמביהזמביהPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneNone
ישראלישראלPaperJudicial onlyJudiciaryYesNoAutomaticPhoto IDNoneRestricted
לטביהלטביהPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDRestrictedUniversal
ליטאליטאPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDRestrictedUniversal
מוזמביקמוזמביקPaperJudicial onlyMixedYesYesVoter-initiatedAny documentNoneRestricted
מולדובהמולדובהPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticAny documentnot recordedUniversal
מקסיקומקסיקוPaperMandatory recountIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDRestrictedRestricted
מרוקומרוקוPaperJudicial onlyGovernmentYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneRestricted
ניגריהניגריהPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneNone
ניו זילנדניו זילנדPaperMandatory recountIndependent commissionYesYesMixedNoneRestrictedRestricted
ניקרגואהניקרגואהPaperNoneGovernmentNoNoState-initiatedPhoto IDNoneNone
סלובקיהסלובקיהPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticAny documentRestrictedRestricted
סנגלסנגלPaperJudicial onlyMixedYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneUniversal
סרביהסרביהPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDNoneRestricted
פוליןפוליןPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticAny documentRestrictedUniversal
צרפתצרפתPaperJudicial onlyMixedYesYesMixedPhoto IDNoneUniversal
קבו ורדהקבו ורדהPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneUniversal
קנדהקנדהPaperAd hocIndependent commissionYesnot recordedMixedAny documentUniversalUniversal
קניהקניהPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesVoter-initiatedPhoto IDNoneRestricted
רומניהרומניהPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticPhoto IDRestrictedUniversal
רוסיהרוסיהMixedNoneGovernmentYesNoState-initiatedPhoto IDRestrictedUniversal
שוודיהשוודיהPaperJudicial onlyIndependent commissionYesYesAutomaticAny documentRestrictedUniversal

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”.