This case study examines the preservation of election results in Guatemala through the lens of the political crisis that occurred in that country in the second half of 2023. Despite Guatemala’s democratic deficiencies, electoral results had not previously been threatened there in the 40 years since the democratic opening in 1983.

The case study explains in detail how the judicialization of politics in 2023 posed a genuine risk of derailing the popular will in Guatemala. The main contribution of this case study lies in its analysis of the resilience of the electoral institutions in the light of the attacks they endured in 2023. This case study also highlights the role of domestic observation missions, which, through sophisticated monitoring systems, were able to debunk false accusations of electoral fraud.