Internet insights on 2024 elections in the Netherlands, South Africa, Iceland, India, and Mexico

The year 2024 is being called "the" year of elections, with more voters than ever going to the polls in at least 60 countries for national elections, plus the 27 member states of the European Union. This includes eight of the world's ten most populous nations, impacting around half of the world's population. To track and analyze these significant global events, a 2024 Election Insights report has been created on Cloudflare Radar, which will be regularly updated as elections take place. The data shows that during elections, there is often a decrease in Internet traffic during polling hours, followed by an increase as results are announced. This trend has been observed before in countries like France and Brazil, and more recently in Mexico and India. Some regions, like Comoros and Pakistan, have experienced government-directed internet disruptions around election time. The report also highlights the ongoing threat to critical infrastructure across Europe, with government sites frequently targeted by cyberattacks.