Election day is the most dangerous day of the year in Zimbabwe, but a day of celebration in the neighbouring South Africa. Elections in foreign countries are apparently peaceful, but the vote rigging has been organised before the arrival of the international media. Free and fair elections are a key symbol of democracy, but are remote countries governed by a Western style democracy, or their own? The contributors to this book are well-known journalists and writers with a wide experience of covering elections all over the world. They have witnessed the vote rigging, the misunderstandings, the manipulation and the violence. In this book they tell their stories. And the winner might be... Democratic Elections and Independent Journalism is a useful and inspiring debating tool for journalists and journalism students alike. How do journalists cover elections? How do political systems work in remote and exotic countries? Where and how do journalists discover vote rigging, violence and oppression? Who are really in power and how do you uncover them?