"As Hungary's case suggests, for elections to sustain and reflect democratic competition, voters must exist in a system involving a free press, an independent judiciary and an international environment that rewards respect for democratic norms. Put simply, shoring up democracy requires more than just voters and elections," co-wrote Nahomi Ichino, assistant professor of political science at the University of Michigan in the Washington Post.

Nahomi Ichino is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science and a Faculty Associate of the Center for Political Studies and the African Studies Center at the University of Michigan. Her research interests focus primarily on ethnic politics, voter behavior, and political parties in developing democracies, with a regional specialization in sub-Saharan Africa. She has a secondary research interest in methodology for comparative politics.