The authors argue that Azerbaijan’s egregious election rigging is not an outlier. Since the end of the Cold War, the majority of elections held in such states have featured some form of electoral manipulation. More disturbing is the assertion that poor quality polls are not a small proportion of all the elections held globally. Debunking the postulate that elections are truly transformative political institutions, only 30 per cent of elections since the early 1990s are stated to have resulted in a transfer of power. Tossed casually on this unacceptable accusatory pile is another shocking allegation that the quality of elections is not a major concern here.

Source: The Telegraph May 16, 2019 14:15 UTC