Contenders disputing electoral results in Sub-Saharan African countries often attribute defects in presidential electoral processes to the implementation of rules and procedures. Yet despite the considerable decision-making authority poll workers are entrusted with and the significance of the tasks performed by therm, scholars have not closely investigated poll workers'contributions to elections' management in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using principal-agent theory as the foundation, the purpose of this case study was to examine the challenges encountered in the organization of the presidential election in Togo, held on April 25, 2015, with a particular emphasis on poll workers' job performance. Research questions focused on whether poll workers in Togo have the ability and the resources necessary to carry out quality elections and the perceived effects of poll workers' performance on the integrity of the presidential electoral process. Data were obtained from interviews with 11 purposely selected poll workers and review of social media audio and video records of the election. These data were inductively coded and subjected to thematic analysis. A key finding was that deficiencies in poll workers' performance reflect a complex interplay of ill-conceived legal framework, lack of infrastructure, poor training, personal ineptitude, underfunding, partisanship, and tribalism. Further findings indicated that poll workers performing poorly resulted in long lines of voters, voter suppression, inaccuracies in vote counts, and delay in results announcement. Implications for positive social change include election practitionners' increased awareness that improving the quality of service delivery to voters on election day may foster confidence in and legitimacy of election results, seen as prerequisite to peaceful presidential elections in this part of the world.

This study examines how Sweden’s changing security situation in 2023 affects political elections by investigating the planning of two elections in two Swedish municipalities, Borås and Båstad. Through interviews with five officials within these municipalities, the study has examined potential differences between two EU elections. The study links the concepts of legitimacy and electoral integrity to the polling station where citizens encounter Sweden’s central electoral authority through poll workers who are tasked with guiding citizens through the voting process. The thesis mainly relates Sweden’s changed security situation to Mark. C Suchmans perspective of legitimacy and the importance of training poll workers in the creation of three pillars of legitimacy-pragmatic, normative and cognitive. The second research question the study investigated was whether there have been changes in the planning of training of poll workers between two elections due to the changed security situation in Sweden 2023. Previous research has shown an increased interest in electoral integrity in Sweden, especially due to global events that threaten the legitimacy of democracies. This thesis demonstrates changes in the planning of the training of poll workers due to the changed security situation in 2023.  Valmyndigheten, Sweden's central voting institution, has guided the municipalities through an operational security analysis, and the municipalities have also taken their own initiatives, such as systematizing security thinking throughout the education of poll workers. The thesis emphasizes the importance of training poll workers to create legitimacy based on Suchmans three pillars of legitimacy. Through training, poll workers learn democratic values and approaches that can be disarming in potentially threatening situations. The result of this study has confirmed that the two municipalities aim with educating poll workers is to create mostly pragmatic and normative legitimacy 2024. This study is of relevance because Sweden in 2023 has experienced a changed security situation, and global trends have discussed electoral integrity in democracies and in political elections.  Key words: Legitimacy, Electoral integrity, Political election, Poll workers, Security Sweden 2023.