Press Release: As American Democracy Faces Continued Challenges, New ERN Report Looks for Lessons from Abroad
BETHESDA, MD (May 21, 2026) — As America reels from gerrymandering wars, a still-disputed presidential election, and partisan clashes over voting rules, other countries that weathered crises offer valuable lessons. A new report released today by the nonpartisan Election Reformers Network (ERN) examines lessons about election governance reforms that stabilized democracy in other nations.
How Nonpartisanship Works: Case Studies in Neutral Election Administration explores how New Zealand, Germany, South Korea, and Costa Rica responded to periods of political crisis, public distrust, or institutional vulnerability by insulating election administration from partisan influence.
Written by ERN International Elections Research Fellow Ambar Zobairi, the report argues that protecting public confidence in elections can’t be left to political culture or civic goodwill, but must be achieved through institutions designed to be separate from the political fray.
“At a time when Americans are increasingly divided not just over political outcomes, but over the fairness of the democratic process itself, it is worth asking what has worked elsewhere,” said ERN Executive Director Kevin Johnson. “These case studies show that trust in elections is not something democracies simply inherit, it can be deliberately built through professional institutions, structural safeguards, and clear commitments to neutrality.”
While the United States has historically relied on norms of principled political involvement in elections, those foundations are under increasing strain. In contrast, the democracies examined in the report responded to crises not by hoping trust would return, but by redesigning systems to make neutrality more visible and enforceable.
Though these countries differ significantly in history, constitutional structure, and political culture, the report identifies several recurring themes: insulating election administration from partisan control, professionalizing election management, establishing enforceable neutrality standards, and designing institutions that can maintain legitimacy under stress.
“The lesson is not that the United States should copy another country’s model wholesale,” Johnson said. “America’s constitutional structure is different, and any reforms must be distinctly American. But comparative experience helps expand our understanding of what’s possible.”
The report arrives amid a gerrymandering arms race in which both parties are casting off all restraints to consolidate maximum power in the states they control. Partisan gerrymandering is a direct consequence of the high degree of influence America gives political parties in running our elections. ERN argues that these problems should be understood not simply as political disputes, but as governance design flaws requiring serious institutional reform.
ERN will host a virtual panel discussion about the report May 21 at 12:30pm ET, entitled Lessons from Abroad for Today’s Challenges to U.S. Democracy.
Election Reformers Network was founded by election experts with extensive experience in emerging democracies. This comparative perspective has shaped ERN’s longstanding focus on practical structural reforms that strengthen democratic resilience.
The report is intended as a resource for policymakers, election professionals, reform advocates, journalists, and citizens seeking concrete ideas for strengthening confidence in American elections
The full report, How Nonpartisanship Works: Case Studies in Neutral Election Administration, is available at ERN’s website.
About ERN
Election Reformers Network (ERN) strengthens election governance through research, policy change, and support to election officials. Drawing on decades of experience in the U.S. and abroad, the nonpartisan, nonprofit organization works to prevent election manipulation, protect election results, and support election officials. Additional information is available at ElectionReformers.org.
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