Do New Voting Technologies Prevent Fraud? Evidence from Russia

Widespread concerns exist that new voting technologies invite electoral fraud. In states with a known record of electoral fraud, however, the use of new voting technologies may help reduce the incidence of fraud by automating parts of the voting and counting process. This study shows that the use of optical scan voting systems had a significant effect in terms of fraud reduction during the 2011 legislative election in Russia. This finding has implications for organizations and governments that seek to promote democratic elections in undemocratic states.