Africa Insight, a Department of Higher Education and Training-accredited peer-reviewed journal, seeks abstracts for a special issue of the journal dedicated to Elections and Elections management bodies in Africa. Housed in the Human Sciences Research Council, the special issue volume seeks to analyze the evolution of the electoral processes in Africa in the last decade, which has tended to focus on the voting processes on election day and, more particularly, on the outcome of elections without paying much attention to who organised the polls and how they were conducted. Elections constitute a critical component in any liberal democracy. They are a viable means of ensuring the orderly process of leadership succession and change, and an instrument of political authority and legitimation.

However, one of the concerns in the decolonial debate on the continent was not necessarily the regularity of elections, but rather the logistical nightmare the process entails. The new political elites worried about the structure of the body entrusted with carrying out this critical function in the post-colonial political process. These concerns were equally expressed by the departing colonial elites, who, fearing their eroding standing in society, entrusted the management of elections to government departments responsible for the country’s Internal Affairs.

The type of Elections Management Body chosen to conduct an election must have legitimacy, not only because it is one of the most manipulable instruments of politics, but also because it may decisively influence the outcome of elections. The great potential of Elections Management Bodies lies in their ability to influence electoral outcomes, which is one reason for the tremendous growth in election monitoring and observer missions. The Editors welcome abstracts that address the following sub-themes:

• Elections and electoral processes in Africa.
• Case studies of electoral malpractices in Africa and their outcomes
• Elections Management bodies
• Integrity of electoral processes in Africa

Interested academics should submit abstracts of not more than 300 words in Word format to publish@hsrc.ac.za. 

Potential contributors should submit abstracts on or before 25 August 2026.