A book feels real when you have a physical copy - and mine arrived today! The Oxford Handbook of Electoral Integrity, edited alongside Holly Ann Garnett, is in print! The book has 36 chapters from leading experts on all aspects of electoral integrity. The book begins with our conception of electoral integrity - elections which…Read more Oxford Handbook of Electoral Integrity
Electoral integrity under pressure as elections faced persistent threats in 2025
Elections across the world faced a wide range of pressures on electoral integrity in 2025, from violence and mis- and disinformation to electoral management malfunctions, cyber attacks and natural hazards, our new report shows. The Review of the 2025 Year of Elections: Inclusivity, Transparency and Trust was produced by International IDEA and the Electoral Integrity Project. I…Read more Electoral integrity under pressure as elections faced persistent threats in 2025
Evidence to the Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament has considerable power and responsibility over electoral law. Last week, the Parliament considered whether to give legislative consent to parts of the Representation of the People Bill. This week, it was considering how to change the candidacy rights for foreign nationals. It was an honour to join the conversation and give evidence…Read more Evidence to the Scottish Parliament
Democratic Backsliding and Public Administration
A new special issue of Policy Issues is out, focussing on Democratic Backsliding and Public Administration. As the world is going through an era of 'democratic backsliding', there has been an increased focus on the relationship between democracy and public administration (see: Bauer et al. 2021; Lotta et al. 2024). However, much of the existing…Read more Democratic Backsliding and Public Administration
What is Electoral Integrity? Conceptualising Election Quality in an Age of Complexity
What is Electoral Integrity? Conceptualising Election Quality in an Age of Complexity, with Cambridge University PressI’m delighted to share that a new book with Holly Ann Garnett is now available — and, amazingly, it is FREE to download until 14 July 2026 (thereafter £18.00 for the ebook).The book redefines the concept of electoral integrity around…Read more What is Electoral Integrity? Conceptualising Election Quality in an Age of Complexity
The Governance of Football: special issue call for papers
Football (‘soccer’) is the world’s largest sport. World cups mark major international mega events, which can trigger economic development, and have wider cultural and political consequences. The size of the global industry has exceeded €38 billion in Europe alone. Around the world, over 200 national associations, 130,00 professional players, and 4,000 professional teams. At the everyday level,…Read more The Governance of Football: special issue call for papers
How the Representation of the People Bill can be amended to strengthen democracy
The UK Government’s new Representation of the People Bill is set to transform the way the UK votes. Toby S. James draws attention to a move towards automatic voter registration and puts forward recommendations for how those proposals could be improved and strengthen democracy. Major Bills to change how elections are important moments in the evolution of…Read more How the Representation of the People Bill can be amended to strengthen democracy
Voting in supermarkets, bank cards as ID and £500,000 fines for breaking the rules – how British elections could be about to change
Originally published on The Conversation Elections need periodic reform to ensure that they have integrity and fulfil their role in line with the times, and the British government has unveiled its proposals for doing just that. Britain was widely regarded as one of the pioneers of such democratic electoral reforms. In the late 19th and…Read more Voting in supermarkets, bank cards as ID and £500,000 fines for breaking the rules – how British elections could be about to change
How to reform elections democratically
How do we reform elections, democratically?There is a lot of research on the pro and cons of specific electoral laws - but much less on the *process* of undertaking electoral reform. Who should be involved in electoral reform, when should reforms take place, and what practices help build trust among stakeholders and the public?To address…Read more How to reform elections democratically
The State of Political Leadership in Britain
By which benchmarks should we assess political leaders? How are Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage performing, and why?Watch our expert book launch from this week, including: Charles Clarke, Tim Bale, Patrick Diamond and Emmanuel Avril.It provides an overview of the conceptual and political landscape - useful for scholars, students, the media and the…Read more The State of Political Leadership in Britain
