Special Issue Introduction – Quality of Elections. Definitions and Measures

Abstract

The study of the quality of elections is spreading very rapidly. This article aims to provide a general overview of the state of the art to introduce an empirical analysis of the quality of elections for the Italian parliament. After reviewing the definitions of ‘quality of elections’, the article thoroughly examines the two main measurement tools. One is based on the experts’ perceptions and promoted as part of the Electoral Integrity Project. The other is based on objective data called the Elections Performance Index. Finally, the article applies the measurement method based on the residual vote to the Italian case.