"The phenomenon of election interference is complicated and multifaceted. Before engaging in a study of election interference's legality under international law, it is imperative that we define the behavior that we are evaluating. What exactly is election interference? What do we mean when we say that one state has interfered with a foreign state's election? The history of election interference is extensive. The Russian interference in the 2016 election did not emerge from a vacuum; states have, for generations, interfered in the domestic political affairs of their allies and rivals alike, either through propaganda or other information operations. However, the present chapter is not a historical study, but rather is an attempt to articulate the current phenomenon of election interference, which in today's age is pursued with cyber-attacks and social media tools. Although the Russian interference in the 2016 election is not the only example of cyber election interference, it is certainly the most well-known and the best studied, and the one that has inspired people to ask the very question that this monograph seeks to answer: Does election interference violate international law? So, before answering that question, it makes sense to describe the Russian interference, its exact contours, its consequences, and its purposes"--