Elections

Munizae Jahangir, the co-chairperson at the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, speaks during a news conference, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. Pakistan's rights body said Monday there is little chance of free and fair parliamentary elections next month because of "pre-poll rigging." It also expressed concerned about authorities rejecting most candidates from former premier Imran Khan's party, including Khan himself. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan human rights body says an upcoming election is unlikely to be free and fair

Pakistan’s independent human rights commission says there is little chance of free and fair parliamentary elections in the country next month because of “pre-poll rigging.”

FILE - Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi waves to his supporters after casting his ballot inside a polling station during the presidential elections in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023. Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi wins reelection with over 70% of vote, election commission says. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy, File)

Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi is declared winner of election that opposition wants redone

FILE - A right-wing demonstrator gestures toward a counter protester as members of the Proud Boys and other right-wing demonstrators rally in Portland, Ore., Sept. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

American democracy has overcome big stress tests since the 2020 election. More challenges are ahead

In this photo released on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a New Year message in Beijing to ring in 2024. (Ju Peng/Xinhua via AP)

Xi says China will ‘surely be reunified’ with self-ruled Taiwan in New Year’s address

FILE - The Indiana Statehouse appears on May 5, 2017, in Indianapolis. Indiana's Republican leaders are calling for a short 2024 session focused on "fine-tuning" policy. The session beginning Jan. 8, 2024, must adjourn by March 14. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

After landmark legislation, Indiana Republican leadership call for short, ‘fine-tuning’ session

Ashley K. Shelton, executive director of Power Coalition for Equity & Justice in Louisiana, a voter advocacy organization that is trying to get left-leaning voters engaged for next year's elections, possess for a photo at her family home in Baton Rouge, La., Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Activists who engage with voters of color are looking for messages that will resonate in 2024

Activists who engage with voters of color are finding lackluster enthusiasm after disappointments on some issues such as voting rights and student loan forgiveness during President Joe Biden’s term.

FILE - Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan, center, arrives to appear at a Supreme Court in Islamabad, Pakistan, Monday, July 24, 2023. Pakistan’s top court on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023 allowed military courts to resume the trials of more than 100 supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on charges of attacking military installations during violent demonstrations that broke out following Khan’s arrest in May. The latest order by the Supreme Court came less than two months after five judges on the same court stopped the trial of 103 civilians who were arrested as part of a crackdown on Khan’s party. (AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai, File)

Pakistan election officials reject former prime minister Khan’s candidacy in parliamentary election

Pakistani election officials have rejected former Prime Minister Imran Khan as a candidate in the country’s February parliamentary election.

Protesters shout slogans during a rally in downtown Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. Thousands of people gathered to protest what election observers said were widespread vote irregularities during a recent general election. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Thousands accuse Serbia’s ruling populists of election fraud at a Belgrade rally

Thousands of people have rallied in Serbia’s capital, chanting “Thieves!” and accusing the populist authorities of President Aleksandar Vucic of orchestrating a fraud during the recent general election.

FILE - Former President Donald Trump speaks during a commit to caucus rally, Monday, Oct. 16, 2023, in Adel, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

Trump’s dominance in GOP frustrates some in Iowa eager for a competitive campaign

The Iowa frenzy is typically in full force by now. With less than three weeks until the Iowa caucuses formally usher in the presidential nomination process, White House hopefuls are usually in a heated competition.

FILE - Rep. Katie Porter, who is running for U.S. Senate, shakes hands with supporters at the California Democratic Party Convention at SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023. (Lezlie Sterling/The Sacramento Bee via AP, File)

Retirements could tip control of the House majority. It’s Republicans who have the early edge

A chaotic year for the House is coming to a close with more Democrats than Republicans deciding to leave the chamber.

FILE - Arizona Supreme Court Justices from left; William G. Montgomery, John R Lopez IV, Vice Chief Justice Ann A. Scott Timmer, Chief Justice Robert M. Brutinel, Clint Bolick and James Beene listen to oral arguments on April 20, 2021, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

Abortion debate creates ‘new era’ for state supreme court races in 2024, with big spending expected

The 2024 elections will be dominated by the presidential contest and the battle for control of Congress.

Former President Donald Trump greets supporters as he arrives at a commit to caucus rally, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Waterloo, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Trump slams Maine ballot removal as the Supreme Court is set to rule if states can stop him running

Maine’s Democratic secretary of state is removing former President Donald Trump from that state’s primary ballot.

Group resubmits proposal to use paper ballots in Arkansas elections

A group that wants Arkansas elections to be conducted with paper ballots has resubmitted proposed constitutional amendments to the state attorney general.

FILE - Election worker Donna Young inspects a mail-in ballot for damage at the Sacramento County Registrar of Voters in Sacramento, Calif., June 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

Election officials see a range of threats in 2024, from hostile countries to conspiracy theorists

The list of security challenges keeps growing for election officials preparing for the 2024 presidential election. Many of the concerns from four years ago persist.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., arrives to the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Boebert switches congressional districts, avoiding a Democratic opponent who has far outraised her

Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert is shifting congressional districts to a more conservative seat on the opposite side of the state to improve her chances of staying in office.

FILE - Georgia Rep. Barry Fleming speaks during a debate in the House Chambers of the state Capitol, March 25, 2021, in Atlanta. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023, that he was naming Fleming to become a superior court judge in Columbia County. (Alyssa Pointer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File)

Prominent Republican Georgia lawmaker Barry Fleming appointed to judgeship

Gov. Brian Kemp is naming a prominent state House member to a judgeship. That means a special election will be needed in coming months to replace him.

Security forces assault a supporter of presidential candidate Martin Fayulu during clashes outside his party's headquarters, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023. Fayulu, a main opposition candidate accused police of using live bullets to break up a protest Wednesday in Congo's capital, as demonstrators demanded a re-do for last week's presidential election. Fayulu is one of five opposition candidates who say the election should be rerun and question its credibility. Some rights groups and international observers also have questioned the vote. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Opposition candidate in Congo alleges police fired bullets as protesters seek re-do of election

A main opposition candidate in Congo accused police of using live bullets to break up a protest in the capital as demonstrators demanded a re-do of last week’s presidential election.

Russian politician Yekaterina Duntsova speaks to journalists after she appealed in Russia's Supreme Court a decision by Russia's Central Election Commission that refused to accept her initial nomination by a group of supporters, citing errors in the documents submitted, in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023. Duntsova lost her appeal against Russia's Central Election Commission's refusal to accept her initial nomination to run for president in March's election by a group of supporters. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)

Russian presidential hopeful loses appeal against authorities’ refusal to register her for the race

A Russian politician calling for peace in Ukraine has lost her appeal against election officials’ refusal to accept her nomination for the country’s presidential race that President Vladimir Putin is all but certain to win.

FILE - Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks during a town hall, Dec. 18, 2023, in Nevada, Iowa. Haley is betting her 2024 candidacy on winning South Carolina. But the politics of Haley's home state have shifted far to the right since she was governor. That threatens her ability to tap into her local roots to notch the victory she has promised.(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

Nikki Haley has bet her 2024 bid on South Carolina. But much of her home state leans toward Trump

Nikki Haley is betting her 2024 candidacy on winning South Carolina. But the politics of Haley’s home state have shifted far to the right since she was governor.

FILE - Voters pass a sign outside a polling site in Warwick, R.I., on Nov. 7, 2022. With the Republican primaries around the corner, a new poll finds that party members aren't sure votes in the presidential nominating contest will be counted accurately. Only about one-third of Republicans say they're confident that tallies in the primary will be accurate. That's according to a new AP-NORC poll. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

Trust is low and pessimism up before the Republican primaries, an AP-NORC poll finds

With the Republican primaries nearing, a new poll finds that party members aren’t sure votes in the presidential nominating contest will be counted accurately.

Oren Etzioni poses for photos at the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence where he serves as advisor & board member, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in Seattle. Experts are warning that the spread of misinformation could get worse in the coming presidential election contest. The safeguards that attempted to counter the bogus claims the last time are eroding, while the tools and systems that create and spread them are only getting stronger. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

As social media guardrails fade and AI deepfakes go mainstream, experts warn of impact on elections

Experts are warning that the spread of misinformation could get worse in the coming presidential election contest.

A protester approaches entrance of the city council building secured by anti-riot police in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023. Police in Serbia have fired tear gas to prevent hundreds of opposition supporters from entering the capital's city council building to protest what election observers said were widespread vote irregularities during a general election a week ago. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbia police detain at least 38 people as opposition plans more protests against election results

Serbian police say they have detained at least 38 people who took part in a protest against reported widespread irregularities during a recent general ballot that declared the governing populists winners of the parliamentary and local councils’ elections.

Opposition supporters attempt to enter the capital's city council building in protest of what election observers said were widespread vote irregularities during a general election last weekend in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023. The country's populist authorities have denied rigging the vote. President Aleksandar Vucic said Sunday that those claims were blatant "lies" promoted by the political opposition. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Police in Serbia fire tear gas at election protesters threatening to storm capital’s city hall

Police in Serbia have fired tear gas to prevent hundreds of opposition supporters from entering the capital’s city council building.

Yekaterina Duntsova looks on after submitting her documents as a presidential candidate for the upcoming presidential election to Russia's Central Election Committee, in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023. Duntsova is a journalist-turned-grassroots campaigner and local legislator. She secured a nomination from a group of more than 500 supporters as required by Russian electoral law from those not running on a party ticket. Delegates from Russia’s ruling party unanimously backed President Vladimir Putin’s bid for reelection at a party conference in Moscow on Sunday. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

A pro-peace Russian presidential hopeful is blocked by the election commission

Russian politician Yekaterina Duntsova hit a roadblock in her presidential campaign Saturday, when Russia’s Central Election Commission refused to accept her initial nomination by a group of supporters, citing errors in the documents submitted.

FILE - Tunisian President Kais Saied gives a speech at the new government's swearing-in ceremony at the Carthage Palace outside the capital Tunis, on Feb. 27, 2020. Tunisians will head to the polls on Sunday for the country's first local elections since President Kais Saied wrote a new constitution that voters approved last year. (Fethi Belaid/Pool via AP, File)

Tunisians vote in local elections on Sunday to fill a new chamber as economy flatlines

Tunisians head to vote in local elections on Sunday to populate a new second legislative chamber focused on economic development.

New York governor signs bill aligning local elections with statewide races

New York’s governor has signed into law a bill changing the state’s election calendar so that more local elections are timed with statewide races. Gov.

FILE - Former President Donald Trump speaks during a commit to caucus rally, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Waterloo, Iowa. Trump pressured two election officials not to certify 2020 vote totals in a key Michigan county, according to a recording of a post-election phone call disclosed in a new report by The Detroit News. The former president’s 2024 campaign has not confirmed or denied the recording’s legitimacy. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

Tape reveals Donald Trump pressured Michigan officials not to certify 2020 vote, a new report says

Donald Trump pressured two elections officials not to certify 2020 vote totals in a key Michigan county.

FILE - Christmas gifts are seen on the stage during a former President Donald Trump commit to caucus rally, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Waterloo, Iowa. The field of 2024 presidential candidates may have some options for shoppers scrambling for a last-minute holiday gift. As the campaign for the White House kicks into full gear, the contenders are offering an onslaught of holiday-themed merchandise, many of which capture some of the surreal aspects of the 2024 race. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

Need last-minute gifts? Presidential hopefuls offer ornaments, gift wrap — and Trump mug shot merch

Presidential campaigns are hoping that an onslaught of themed merchandise will keep their message out under the Christmas tree.

FILE - Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach answers questions from reporters during a news conference outside his office May 1, 2023, in Topeka, Kan. Kobach sent a letter Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023, to the election commissioner in Johnson County to postpone a legally required destruction of old ballots from 2019, 2020 and 2021 because Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden says his investigation of possible election crimes remains open. (AP Photo/John Hanna, File)

Kansas attorney general urges county to keep ballots longer than is allowed to aid sheriff’s probe

The Republican attorney general in Kansas has urged the state’s most populous county to postpone a legally required destruction of old ballots.

FILE - Former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani speaks during a news conference outside the federal courthouse in Washington, Friday, Dec. 15, 2023. Giuliani has filed for bankruptcy, days after being ordered to pay $148 million in a defamation lawsuit. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Rudy Giuliani files for bankruptcy days after being ordered to pay $148 million in defamation case

The former New York City mayor listed nearly $153 million in existing or potential debts, including close to a million dollars in tax liabilities, money he owes his lawyers and many millions of dollars in potential legal judgments in lawsuits against him.

Cochise County Supervisor Tom Crosby as he leaves Maricopa County Superior Court on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023, in Phoenix, Arizona. Crosby and Cochise County Supervisor Peggy Judd pleaded not guilty to felony charges for delaying the certification of their county’s 2022 midterm election results. The county located in southeastern Arizona ultimately certified its results after a judge ruled both Republican supervisors broke the law when they refused to sign off on the vote count by a deadline. (AP Photo/Jacques Billeaud)

Two county officials in Arizona plead not guilty to charges for delaying 2022 election certification

Two officials from a rural Arizona county pleaded not guilty to felony charges for delaying the certification of their county’s 2022 midterm election results.

Election officials compare figures while counting votes at a polling station in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023. Lengthy delays at the polls forced officials on Wednesday to extend voting in Congo's presidential election as many residents in the mineral-rich West African nation struggled to cast ballots because of steep logistical and security challenges, raising concerns about the integrity of the process. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

Congo conducts a 2nd day of voting after delays and closed polls keep people from casting ballots

Congo is wrapping up its second day of voting after a chaotic rollout and lengthy delays forced election officials to extend voting hours.

Mayor-elect Mikhail Krasnov waves to a supporter as he walks through Bolivar Square in Tunja, Colombia, Monday, Dec. 11, 2023. Krasnov, a 45-year-old university professor from Russia, was one of the unexpected winners in Colombia’s regional elections in October. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Meet the Russian professor who became mayor of a Colombian city

Mikhail Krasnov, a Russian-born professor of economics, this year became the mayor of Tunja, a city in Colombia’s Andean highlands.

FILE - A man wearing a mask gathers with a group in support of Black Voters Matter at the Graham Civic Center polling site in Graham, N.C., Nov. 3, 2020. Some top Democrats are worried that a dip in Black voter turnout, along with other challenges, could doom President Joe Biden and his party in 2024. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)

Biden should keep expanding approach to Black voters, group of Democratic strategists says

Some top Democrats are worried that a dip in Black voter turnout, along with other challenges, could doom President Joe Biden and his party in 2024.

FILE - Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., chair of the House Freedom Caucus, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 14, 2023. A federal judge is ordering Republican Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania to turn over more than 1,600 texts and emails to FBI agents investigating efforts to keep President Donald Trump in office after his 2020 election loss and illegally block the transfer of power to Democrat Joe Biden. The ruling, late Monday, came more than a year after Perry’s personal cellphone was seized by federal authorities. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Congressman told to hand over hundreds of texts and emails to FBI in 2020 election probe

A federal judge is ordering Republican Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania to turn over more than 1,600 texts and emails to FBI agents investigating efforts to keep President Donald Trump in office after his 2020 election loss.