"I am Doing This out of Love": Mobilization for Fair Elections in Belarus

• In Event: Mass Mobilization and Protests in Comparative Perspective

Abstract

The August 9, 2020 presidential election in Belarus was followed by protests and mass atrocities that undermined the legitimacy of one of the most repressive authoritarian regimes. The electoral campaign led by women and bolstered by artificial intelligence saw unprecedented citizen mobilization despite extreme electoral manipulation. What conditions facilitated the unexpected mobilization for fair elections in a neo-Soviet authoritarian regime with strong state control of the economy, politics, and society? What motivations, resources, and opportunities enabled citizens to take advantage of unfair elections against all odds? What was the role of women's activism and “civic technology” in challenging the electoral manipulation machine? I will examine original events data, interviews with candidates and activists, and speeches collected over the course of the campaign to trace the process of civic mobilization. This research will provide substantive contribution to understanding emerging issues in the field of electoral manipulation such as gender and AI technology. Ultimately, it will advance our knowledge of the risks of unfair elections for durable authoritarian regimes, while providing in-depth insights into one of the most understudied “closed” societies in Eastern Europe.

Author

• Alesia Sedziaka, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign