Analyzing Process-Based Threats to Election Integrity

Dr. Holly Ann Garnett’s work on process-based threats examines the role of election technology in electoral integrity, especially online tools such as internet registration and online voting. Her research looks at how these technologies affect accessibility, public trust, and confidence in electoral procedures. Rather than assuming that digital voting methods automatically improve elections, her work asks how different voting processes are experienced by different groups of voters. 

One major focus of this work is trust in different voting methods. Drawing on research from the 2022 Ontario municipal elections, where multiple voting methods were used across different municipalities, Dr. Garnett and her collaborators studied how electors perceived the voting process. Their findings point to important nuance: young people do not necessarily trust online voting simply because they are familiar with digital technology, and some may be especially aware of the risks associated with online systems.

Dr. Garnett’s process-based research also emphasizes that accessibility cannot be understood through broad assumptions about voters. Persons with disabilities, for example, are not a single uniform group, and different voters may have different accessibility needs. Her work therefore cautions against treating online voting as a simple solution to turnout, access, or trust. Instead, it encourages policymakers and researchers to ask how election technologies affect equity-deserving groups and to design electoral processes that reflect voters’ varied experiences and needs.