2024: The super-election year

A few weeks ago, in its annual preview of the new year about to start, The Economist highlighted how important 2024 will be for democracy worldwide. The British magazine was one of the first voices to cast attention on the fact that in the next 12 months more than 70 countries will head to the polls. By some accounts, this may be the first time that more than half of the world population (over 4 billion people) will cast a vote within the same year in presidential, legislative of subnational elections. 

Although some analysts repute the exact figure, one way or another it is clear that 2024 will be a "super-election year": an unprecedented electoral cycle showcasing all types of systems and races in what may be the greatest exercise in political participation in human history. These will range from one-day contests to multi-week ones; from transparent and competitive...