In this stage, the electoral system remains in place in form, but is fundamentally compromised in function. Voter suppression laws — including ID restrictions, reduced polling access, purged voter rolls, and limitations on absentee voting — disproportionately affect opposition demographics. Simultaneously, partisan officials take control of election oversight and certification, empowering legislatures or secretaries of state to nullify results under vague claims of fraud or irregularity.
This dual-pronged strategy allows the regime to influence both participation and outcome, making competitive elections increasingly symbolic. Challenges to results are dismissed as conspiratorial or unpatriotic, and recounts or audits are either obstructed or conducted under partisan conditions.
Historical precedents include Russia, where opposition candidates are disqualified and results preordained; Venezuela, where loyalist electoral councils rewrite outcomes; and Germany (1933–34), where the Nazi Party used legal reforms to eliminate multiparty competition and consolidate control.
What to Watch For
- New voting laws passed at the state or federal level restricting access to ballots
- Partisan takeovers of election boards, certification offices, or oversight commissions
- Claims of “irregularities” used to delay or override certified election outcomes
- Refusal to accept results unless favorable to the ruling party
- Disqualifications or administrative barriers targeting opposition candidates
- Surveillance or intimidation of poll workers and voters in key precincts