Election Integrity and Democracy in Republic of Moldova (ELIDEM)

International Conference

Election Integrity and the Quality of Democracy: Challenges and Pathways to Good Governance 

Moldova State University, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova

23-24 January 2025

 

The quality of democracy is deeply intertwined with the transparency and fairness of electoral processes, and understanding the challenges to electoral integrity - such as electoral clientelism and fraud - is essential to safeguarding democratic governance. The International Conference, Election Integrity and the Quality of Democracy: Challenges and Pathways to Good Governance seeks to explore the mechanisms that undermine election integrity, understand the current opportunities and challenges for political representation and good governance, and identify the strategies to increase the quality of democracy.

We invite contributions that provide answers to questions related to, but not limited to, one of the following topics: 

• The quality of democracy: Explaining progress and identifying challenges

• The causes or consequences of electoral clientelism (including vote-buying) on politics and society

• Sources and types of electoral fraud 

• Political parties and electoral fraud

• Comparative analyses of election integrity

• The roles of public opinion and civic engagement in upholding electoral transparency

• Mechanisms to enhance good governance.

This conference will provide the space for an academic debate in which scholars can present the most recent findings of their research. It brings together researchers discussing developments either with an emphasis on single-case studies or with a comparative perspective. The papers can cover democratic or undemocratic regimes - or a comparison between them - and the organizers are open to submissions on a broad range of theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches. 

Participants, Conference Structure and Planned Outcomes

The conference aims to gather 20 researchers. It will start on 23 January at 09.00 and end on 24 January at 14.00. The conference languages are English and Romanian (separate panels, languages will not be mixed in the same panel). 

The event is multi-disciplinary and we encourage applications from scholars in political science, public administration, sociology, law, and European Studies. The papers will be clustered in thematic panels that will be decided after the acceptance of papers. The panels will be moderated by a scholar from Moldova State University. Each panel will have a discussant that will provide feedback on all the presentations. Each presenter will have 15 min. for presentation. 

Depending on the homogeneity and quality of the presented papers, several will be included in a special issue in a highly ranked peer-reviewed journal or an edited book with an international publisher. This will be decided after the conference. 

 

Costs and Application Procedure

The organizers can cover two nights of accommodation for the paper givers, the lunches both days and the conference coffee breaks. Travel grants are not available, and participants must cover their transport to and from Chisinau. 

To apply, please fill in the online application form (which requires a paper title, 200-words abstract and author details) until 8 December 2024. The results of the selection process will be communicated within seven days after the application deadline. The conference attendance does not require a finalized paper, but all presenters should have a presentation of their work and at least a draft paper prepared. 

 

Key Dates

8 December 2024: Deadline for the submissions of abstracts.

15 December 2024: Authors informed about the outcome of the selection process.

20 January 2025: Deadline for authors to send their papers or presentations

23-24 January 2025: The conference

​

Contact email: cspa.frispa.usm@gmail.com