Abstract
In 2024, more than 40 democratic countries around the world hold important elections. In the current competitive situation between democratic and authoritarian countries, the participants involved in the democratic election process of various countries are not only the domestic political forces of each country, but also include cross-border interference from authoritarian countries. Since the 2016 U.S. election, Russia’s election-meddling has received widespread attention. In recent years, as China has increasingly diversified its influence operations, countries have also become more vigilant about China's interference operations.
This chapter sorts out the concerns and responses of major democratic countries to authoritarian countries’ intervention in their domestic elections in 2024. First, authoritarian countries, mainly China, Russia, and Iran, continue to interfere in the electoral processes of democratic countries. In addition to applying emerging means to strengthen their influence, there are also signs of integration and selection. Secondly, democratic countries have increasingly begun to regard such interference as an important threat to national sovereignty and have increased their vigilance and countermeasures. However, many democratic countries still lack awareness or ability. Thirdly, the selection behavior of authoritarian countries reflects the competition between the democratic and authoritarian camps, which has extended from the international field to domestic social operations. This complex situation will continue to guide the development of national politics, geopolitics and even global order.