Electoral Manipulation in Liberal Democracies

Future generations may view the early 21st century as a pivotal era when the traditional effectiveness of elections as a democratic process began to wane. This shift is largely due to the enhancement of existing tools and the development of new methods for manipulating both election results and voter behavior. The rise of online communication, the use of big data, psychographics, and behavioral microtargeting have become powerful instruments in the hands of politicians. These tools are often employed without hesitation, undermining the essential democratic principles that ensure election integrity. Today's democracy struggles to provide a socially effective response to misinformation, alternative facts, and the biased influences of media. Citizens often become aware of these infringements only after a whistleblower steps forward, by which time it is frequently too late. As the political system increasingly fails to guarantee the integrity of electoral processes in an institutional manner, it is hardly surprising that concerns are growing about the objectification and instrumentalisation of voters within democracy.