Expert Judgements

Abstract

This chapter describes the research design and the results of the pilot data from the Perceptions of Electoral Integrity, or PEI, that enables researchers and policy analysts to evaluate specific disaggregated aspects of electoral integrity, as well as to construct an overall index of Perceptions of Electoral Integrity that meets the scientific criteria listed above. When completed, the PEI dataset will eventually evaluate all national elections—instead of the subset monitored by international or domestic organizations. It will also examine malpractices throughout the electoral cycle—instead of only on election day. In the PEI pilot stage, conducted in April and May 2013, the survey instrument was implemented in twenty countries and coverage was then expanded to all presidential and parliamentary elections around the world. The initial results of the PEI pilot stage are encouraging. The mean response rate (30%) is consistent with existing expert surveys. Furthermore, the expert evaluations are strongly correlated with several independent existing sources (suggesting external validity). The PEI experts' evaluations coincide with mass perceptions of electoral integrity, as measured by the sixth round of the World Values Survey, suggesting reliable and legitimate estimates.