Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Free and fair elections refer to a democratic process where all eligible citizens have the right to vote without coercion or manipulation, and where the electoral system is transparent and impartial.
Related terms
Voter Suppression: Voter suppression refers to any effort made to prevent certain individuals or groups from exercising their right to vote.
Electoral fraud occurs when there are deliberate manipulations of the electoral process, such as ballot tampering or falsifying results.
Gerrymandering: Gerrymandering is the practice of manipulating district boundaries in order to give an unfair advantage to a particular political party during elections.