No pressure on those of us eligible to vote in an upcoming election occurring within the next 11 months, but 2024 may very well be the year global democracy begins its journey towards a painful, bitter death. Approximately 49% of the world population live in the 64 countries that will head to the polls (in addition to the European Union elections), amounting to the largest number of voters ever.

Now, this should be a cause for celebration. We should all be bringing out the fine set of champagne glasses and toasting as if there is an infinite amount of democracy-riddled tomorrows ahead of us! Alas, the rise of those ever-so-persistent authoritarian leaders present all those capable of heading to the polls with quite the conundrum: cast your vote on the wrong fellow and you might just not get to cast one ever again.

With the rise of dangerous AI-tools and the presence of social media, the spread of disinformation for anti-democratic and manipulative purposes have assumed a new level of significance in modern-day elections. As nationalist authoritarian leaders seek to either strengthen their grip on their ruling power or just begin to have it, the election outcomes within the next 11 months will play a big role in determining the advancement, or lack thereof, of human rights for decades to come.

Amongst others, as global powers India and the United States start counting their votes, the world will hold its breath as we observe whether democracy, humanitarian values and freedom of speech manage to stagger through the bullets of those flirting with dictatorship. Interestingly, leaders included in that dictator-loving category, including Indian Prime Minister Modi of the right-wing Hindu nationalist party and former US President Trump, appears to hold similar appeals to their voters - they are “political outsiders” who despise the corrupted political elite and aim to bring a new dawn of reality to their country. Prime examples of the threatening rise of extreme right-wing populist leaders, Modi and Trump similarly have a glaringly alarming track record of reducing the voice of those who oppose them.

Of course, there are an unfortunate number of governments that will be printing the 2024 ballots without any actual intent on counting them. However, those are not the ones that worry me the most. Don’t take me wrong - of course I pray for the removal of oppressive authoritarian regimes. Nonetheless, and as depressive as this might sound, it can only get better from there. Corrupt governments who persecute and imprison their own people can not become (to an extent) even more corrupt and even more dictatorial. The time for liberation will come - history and humanity will see to that.

Rather, it is the countries currently balancing on that fine line of democracy versus authoritarianism that I worry about. They have broken through whatever past system of government they had and come out the other side with crisp ballots and free press, embracing the will of the people. They have had a taste of freedom, and now their eligible voters may very well catapult them straight back into an era of totalitarianism. And so, as we head into the year of debate, campaign, and lucrative promises of greatness, I urge every individual with a vote that counts to cast it so that it won’t be their last.

Sources

Lawless, J. (2024, January 15). Over 50 countries go to the polls in 2024. The year will test even the most robust democracies. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/global-elections-2024-preview-cb77b0940964c5c95a9affc8ebb6f0b7 

Ewe, K. (2023, December 28). Elections around the world in 2024. Time. https://time.com/6550920/world-elections-2024/