Building Public Trust

Impartial, credible election observers play a key role in shaping perceptions about the quality and legitimacy of electoral processes. Since 1989, The Carter Center has been a pioneer of election observation, forging many of the techniques now common to the field. 

From Venezuela to New Mexico, from Sierra Leone to Montana, the Carter Center’s recent election observation work has spanned the globe.

Democracy’s battle now plays out online. The Carter Center’s Digital Threats Initiative protects electoral integrity by monitoring disinformation, hate speech, coordinated manipulation, and dark advertising that can suppress voting, undermine trust, or incite violence.

With Georgia Tech, we’ve developed open-source tools and AI models that detect threats in real time. We share this technology with local partners worldwide, enabling sustainable, community-led responses.

Our current priorities include developing methods to combat online gender-based violence against women running for office and mapping the money behind political advertising to guide transparency reforms. Through tech innovation and local empowerment, we help democratic discourse thrive online — free from manipulation, intimidation, and violence.

Democracy needs a rulebook. Our Election Obligations and Standards Database catalogues 300+ sources of international laws that define genuine elections. In partnership with the United Nations’ Electoral Assistance Division and the National Democratic Institute, we crafted Model Commitments for Advancing Genuine and Credible Elections, which offers practical steps governments take to strengthen democratic governance. 

From election laws to results certification, we’ve mapped every aspect of the democratic process. Our work proves that elections and human rights are inseparable. We have created global standards that turn democratic ideals into measurable practices.

True democracy means everyone participates. The Carter Center ensures that historically underrecognized voices help shape their nations’ futures.

In Zambia and beyond, we connect human rights defenders with election monitors, focusing on women, youth, indigenous peoples, and persons with disabilities. Our work transforms abstract rights into political power, helping marginalized groups navigate systems that were designed without their input. From voter registration to candidacy, we are breaking down barriers that keep citizens from fully participating in democracy.

Democracy thrives when citizens become its guardians. The Carter Center builds sustainable observer networks that strengthen credibility, expose corruption, and foster confidence in democratic institutions. From Montana to Guyana, we train nonpartisan citizen observers — neighbors and everyday voters — ensuring elections follow the law while identifying needed improvements. 

Beyond election day, we empower civil society organizations to promote equal participation and government accountability. We provide training and support so that these organizations can become democracy’s watchdogs, ensuring governments serve citizens fairly.

This dual approach — citizen observation plus civil society strengthening — extends democracy’s safety net: local, vigilant, and committed to transparency over partisanship. Trust grows when communities monitor themselves.