Digital Sovereignty and Electoral Integrity: Assessing Cyber Interferences in Post-Conflict Transitions

Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies | Vol. 9, No. 1, January 2018 | pp. 775–783

DOI: 10.46882/2018/GJPCS/0000108

Article Type: Original Research Paper

Title: Digital Sovereignty and Electoral Integrity: Assessing Cyber Interferences in Post-Conflict Transitions

Names of Authors: Alistair Vance¹, Elena Voronina²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Center for Cyber Security Studies, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States; ²Department of Public International Law, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Abstract: Abstract: The strategic implementation of synchronized digital manipulation campaigns has transformed modern electoral tracking systems into critical state stability vulnerabilities. This research evaluates the structural mechanics of state-sponsored informational sabotage targeting municipal administrative voting infrastructure during periods of domestic political transition. Utilizing a computational content analysis framework, we scraped and classified over 750,000 region-specific political micro-blog posts alongside technical digital network telemetry records from recent competitive cycles. The empirical findings confirm that spikes in coordinated bot-driven polarization frames correlate directly with a subsequent 42% decrease in public trust metrics regarding municipal government institutions (Beta = -0.49, p < 0.001). Time-series models demonstrate that digital infrastructure disruptions are systematically deployed to amplify pre-existing societal ethnic cleavages during delicate voting timelines. The study concludes that standard decentralized technological defensive parameters fail to isolate state administrative communication networks from sophisticated state-level digital resources. The paper recommends establishing a centralized trans-national cyber monitoring agencies backed by real-time automated verification protocols to protect fragile democratic processes.

Keywords: Digital Sovereignty, Electoral Integrity, Cyber Interference, Informational Sabotage, Public Trust, Telemetry Analysis, Fragile Democracies

Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 14, 2017; Revised: October 20, 2017; Accepted: November 22, 2017; Published: January 11, 2018

Citation: Vance, A., & Voronina, E. (2018). Digital Sovereignty and Electoral Integrity: Assessing Cyber Interferences in Post-Conflict Transitions. Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 9(1), 775–783. DOI: 10.46882/2018/GJPCS/0000108

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