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The Covid-19 pandemic poses a significant challenge for African elections. As countries continue to practice social distancing, the realities of containing community spread of the disease present numerous hurdles to the traditional voting process. West African governments—similar to global counterparts, including the United States—will have to weigh the tradeoffs between public safety and democratic imperatives. Leaders who decide to hold planned elections risk hastening the virus’s transmission. On the other hand, the Covid-19 outbreak presents an opportunity for leaders to strengthen their grip on power, exploiting health restrictions to suppress turnout, or even delay voting.
A discussion with
Rachel Beatty Reidl
John S. Knight Professor of International Studies, Cornell University
ORGANIZER: Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
WEBSITE: https://www.csis.org/events/online-event-elections-democracy-and-covid-19-west-africa