Sanches, Edalina2023-10-302023-10-302023Sanches, E.R. (2023). Case study: Cabo Verde. In James, T. S., Clark, A. & Asplund, E. (Eds.), Elections during emergencies and crises: Lessons for electoral integrity from the Covid-19 pandemic, pp. 218-233. Stockholm: International IDEA978-91-7671-627-4http://hdl.handle.net/10451/60069On 18 April 2021 Cabo Verde held its seventh parliamentary elections since democratic transition in the early 1990s. Parliamentary elections take place every five years and not only meet high quality standards but promote peaceful alternation of power between major parties that generally accept the rules of the game (Sanches 2020a; Sanches et al. 2021). However, this time, as elsewhere, the country faced an unprecedented dilemma due to the Covid-19 pandemic: to either postpone or go ahead with the elections, while balancing democratic and human security imperatives. Unlike most countries, Cabo Verde decided to move forward as scheduled. The holding of local elections in October 2020 constituted a crucial pre-test, helping to inform the mitigation measures needed to reduce the spread of Covid-19 and guarantee a safe voting environment.engbook part10.31752/idea.2023.24