Electoral Integrity Project

What Electoral Integrity Project does

The Electoral Integrity Project is an independent academic research initiative founded in 2012 by Professor Pippa Norris, originally based at Harvard University and the University of Sydney, and currently housed at the Royal Military College of Canada/Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and the University of East Anglia in Norwich, United Kingdom. The project is co-directed by Professor Holly Ann Garnett and Professor Toby S. James and operates with a lean team of 5 employees. Its core remit is to compare the quality of elections worldwide across the electoral cycle and to generate evidence-based recommendations for electoral reform.

The project's core technology is a research and data analytics platform built around the Perceptions of Electoral Integrity (PEI) Index, an expert survey-based dataset covering 139 countries and gathering assessments from over 2,000 experts. Supplementary products include the multi-wave Electoral Management Survey (2017-18, 2021, 2024), the Global Party Survey, the Electoral Legislation by Country Dataset, and the Citizen Electoral Observer Group Survey, with datasets hosted on Harvard Dataverse and reports distributed through the project's website. Outputs extend beyond datasets to annual Global Electoral Integrity Reports, policy briefs, books, journal articles, the 'How to improve elections' podcast, and a postgraduate module on Electoral Integrity at the University of East Anglia.

The business model is non-commercial and academic. The project is funded through institutional support from its host universities and research grants, with supplementary consultancy and training services offered to governments and election management bodies. Publications, datasets, and policy briefs are distributed for free across the website, Substack newsletter, social media channels, and academic publishers including Cambridge University Press, Routledge, and Sage. Primary stakeholders are governments, election management bodies, international organizations (Carter Center, IFES, International IDEA, A-WEB, Venice Commission), academic researchers, and policymakers seeking independent comparative assessment of electoral quality.

Name

Electoral Integrity Project

Legal name

Electoral Integrity Project

Website

https://electoralintegrityproject.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Electoral Integrity Project is an independent academic research initiative founded in 2012 that produces comparative expert-survey data, policy briefs, and annual reports on electoral integrity across 139 countries, serving governments, election management bodies, researchers, and international democracy-support organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Political Science Research

NAICS

Political Organizations (813940)

akta.pro primary industry

Electoral Support & Election Observation (BPADAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ)

Keywords

• Electoral integrity research
• Comparative election analysis
• Voter participation studies
• Democratic governance research
• Election management research

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Academic Research and Grants: The project operates as an academic initiative housed at universities (Royal Military College of Canada/Queen's University and University of East Anglia), funded through institutional support and research grants.
2. Consultancy and Training Services: The project offers consultancy and training services related to electoral integrity, as evidenced by the dedicated section on the website.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Electoral Integrity Project is an independent academic research initiative that produces comparative research, expert survey datasets, and policy reports on the quality of elections worldwide. It offers consultancy, training, and bespoke assessments for governments, election management bodies, international organizations, and academic researchers, while publishing open datasets, podcasts, and educational courses.

Product overview

The Electoral Integrity Project is an independent academic research initiative founded in 2012, housed at Royal Military College of Canada/Queen's University and the University of East Anglia. The project produces a portfolio of interconnected research products centered on electoral integrity assessment: the core Perceptions of Electoral Integrity (PEI) Dataset and Index, which forms the foundation for the annual Global Electoral Integrity Reports; supplementary datasets including the Electoral Management Survey (tracking EMB performance globally), Global Party Survey, Electoral Legislation by Country Dataset, and Citizen Electoral Observer Group Survey; educational offerings through the MA Public Policy and Management program with Electoral Integrity specialization; an audio content series (EIP Podcast); and specialized research programs on topics like inclusive elections and safeguarding EMBs. The project also publishes policy briefs, academic articles, and book chapters, and provides consultancy and training services to election management bodies worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Perceptions of Electoral Integrity (PEI) Expert Survey Dataset A cross-national expert survey dataset measuring the quality of elections worldwide, used by academic researchers, election observers, and policymakers.
• Electoral Integrity Research Reports and Publications Peer-reviewed academic publications, policy reports, and working papers analyzing electoral integrity and democratic governance.
• Electoral Integrity Consultancy Services Bespoke advisory and diagnostic services for governments, electoral commissions, and international organizations on evaluating and reforming electoral processes.
• Training and Educational Courses Training programs and courses for election administrators, civil society, and academics on electoral integrity measurement and reform.
• Electoral Integrity Podcast Series Audio podcast series discussing electoral integrity issues, research findings, and practitioner interviews.

Quantifiable outcome

• UK election quality score of 64/100 at general elections 2015-2019
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Centre for Social Studies (CES)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Co-organized the 2021 virtual conference 'Delivering Trusted Elections: New Challenges in Electoral Integrity' in Lisbon, providing academic research platform and workshop coordination.
• University of East AngliacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Home institution for Professor Toby S. James, co-director of the project. Provides academic infrastructure and PhD supervision opportunities.
• Carter CentermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partner in the 2021 Lisbon workshop, bringing practitioner perspective on election observation and democracy support programs.
• IFESmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021International Foundation for Electoral Systems partnered in the 2021 workshop, contributing technical expertise on electoral administration.
• A-WEB (Association of World Electoral Bodies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Electoral Learning and Capacity Training (ELECT) project and Electoral Management Surveys in 2017-18 and subsequent years.
• Venice Commission of the Council of EuropemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on 2017-18 Electoral Management Survey focusing on EMB structure, resources, capacity, and personnel.
• International IDEAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on 2021 Electoral Management Survey about elections during the pandemic, and ongoing data collection initiatives.
• European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganized joint workshops including the Prague workshop in September 2023, with ECPR as academic hosting partner.
• World Values SurveyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIP collaborated on battery of items monitoring mass evaluations of electoral integrity in Waves 6 and 7 of the World Values Survey.
• Royal Military College of CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary institutional host for Professor Holly Ann Garnett, co-director of the project.
• Queen's UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated institution with cross-appointment for Professor Holly Ann Garnett at the Institute for Intergovernmental Research.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Democratic Institute (NDI): Large US-funded democracy assistance organization that supports elections and political processes worldwide, with research and advisory work that overlaps EIP's policy advisory scope.
• International Republican Institute (IRI): US-based democracy organization supporting political parties and elections globally; comparable to EIP in the electoral integrity space but with a much larger field operation and funding base.
• European Parliament Research Service: Provides comparative analysis and policy briefings on electoral integrity to parliamentary bodies and EU institutions — overlaps with EIP's policy brief and EU advisory work.

Direct peers

• The Carter Center: Major democracy-support NGO that conducts election observation and publishes thematic reports on electoral integrity; an existing EIP partner and a comparable practitioner-research hybrid.
• International IDEA: Intergovernmental organization that produces global data, reports, and advisory services on democratic elections and electoral integrity — directly comparable to EIP's research, dataset, and EMB advisory offerings.
• Freedom House: International watchdog producing comparative democracy and electoral freedom indices (e.g., Freedom in the World) — overlaps with EIP's mission of cross-national election-quality assessment.
• IFES (International Foundation for Electoral Systems): Global democracy and elections NGO providing technical assistance to EMBs and publishing research on electoral integrity — a key partner of EIP and a direct competitor for EMB advisory work.
• V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy Institute): University of Gothenburg-based academic institute producing the most comprehensive global democracy datasets, including expert surveys on electoral integrity — the closest pure-research analogue to EIP's PEI index.

Emerging players

• Brennan Center for Justice: US-based research and advocacy organization that publishes influential work on US election administration and integrity — overlaps with EIP on election-quality research but focused on the US context.

Others

• Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation (Harvard): Harvard Kennedy School research center that convenes scholars and practitioners on democratic governance — historically connected to EIP through founder Pippa Norris and adjacent to its democracy research mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ElectIntegrity
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDGF-4NMfY80AGuoXVhsv9g
• Facebookfacebook.com/electoralintegrity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/electoral-integrity-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Electoral Integrity Project