Free and Unfair Elections

Headline: “Turkey points to a global trend: Free and unfair elections”

Autocrats like Erdogan, the president of Turkey, who has his runoff election against a democratic challenger all but wrapped up, can stay in power indefinitely and still brag about how elections in their countries are free: No one was compelled to vote for Erdogan. The results in the recent election, which triggered the runoff were something like 49% to 45%, giving it the look of a democratic election. But as the headline reflects, once rulers and political parties get enough power, they can institute rules and procedures that tilt elections in their favor. That’s what Republicans are trying to do by establishing gerrymandered districts and suppressing voting by constituencies likely to vote against them, undemocratic and unfair means aimed at establishing longterm one-party minority rule.