Daniel Murphy spent three years at IFES working as Program Assistant and then Executive Assistant to then-President/CEO Richard Soudriette. Since his departure in 2002, he has continued to work in the field of elections. He spoke to us about his career path and his best memories from his days at IFES. 

IFES: How did you get into the field of elections?

Murphy: Like many people, my career in elections began as something of an accident. I walked out of class one day when I was a sophomore in college and there was a flyer on the bulletin board asking for a volunteer to serve as the university’s Board of Elections Chair. I thought it would make an interesting bullet point on my resume—which it basically was. However, four years later, after putting my resume on Monster.com I got a call from an IFES recruiter offering me a position since they needed someone who spoke French and had some experience in elections.

IFES: What experience stands out from your time at IFES?

Murphy: It’s hard to narrow it down to one since I have had so many wonderful experiences with IFES, mostly related to the people with whom I have worked. One experience that particularly sticks out, though, was at one of the board of directors’ meetings for IFES, Ltd., in London. In leaving the hotel for the dinner I had miscounted our group and inadvertently left the hotel without our Board Chairman, who is now the President/CEO Bill Sweeney. Oops. So, upon arriving at the restaurant, I realized the mistake and jumped in a cab. When I arrived at the hotel, I saw Bill getting into another cab and driving away—though he really wasn’t sure to what restaurant he was supposed to go. I told the cab driver to “follow that car” and he said, “Seriously, mate?  I’ve been waiting 10 years to hear that!”  I am happy to say we did catch up to Bill and we made it to the dinner quite on time.  

IFES: What have you been doing since you left IFES?

Murphy: I didn’t realize that my “accidental” career path would lead me to so many fascinating places. After leaving IFES in December 2002, I went to work as an Election Programs Coordinator for the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. I left L.A. to return to Washington to work at the then newly-formed U.S. Election Assistance Commission where I served as Special Assistant to the Vice Chairman Paul DeGregorio (also a proud IFES alumnus). After leaving the EAC in 2005, I began my career as a consultant. Since that time I have worked for more than a dozen election jurisdictions or election-related organizations in the U.S. and abroad.

IFES: You worked with Afghanistan’s Election Complaints Commission (ECC) in both 2009 and 2010. What can you tell us about that experience?

Murphy: I was extremely proud to have worked for the ECC in 2009 and 2010. I believe that the dedicated national and international staff of that organization tried hard to show Afghans and the world that rule of law does matter and that powerful people are not above the law. Personally, I was not able to stay for the election in 2010, so I am not in the best position to judge first-hand, but I definitely believe that some progress was made.

IFES: You have a lot of experience with the U.S. election system, which is often criticized. How can it be improved?

Murphy: I certainly agree that the U.S. election system is often criticized, but as one of my election mentors often says, “There is no such thing as a leprechaun, a unicorn or a perfect election.” Of course, election officials must strive for perfection, but it is unrealistic to expect that it is achievable. The problem is that the U.S. election system is exceedingly complex and decentralized. Often, efforts at reform are conceived in a one-size-fits-all way that is not appropriate in a system that is really a patchwork of thousands of cities, counties and states each conducting their own election in very different ways. Additionally, having spent a good deal of time training pollworkers, I have seen firsthand how much pressure new regulations and procedures can put on election volunteers. I think that reform efforts must be conceived more carefully and that strong communication between policy makers and election officials must be encouraged so that efforts at improving the system do in fact improve it instead of needlessly complicating it.

IFES: What do elections mean to you?

Murphy: I was recently asked if my work in elections was a job or a calling. I think that on good days it’s a calling and on bad days it’s a job. However, the number of good days far outweighs the bad and I am proud of having been raised in a democratic society and given the opportunity to share one of our culture’s most fundamental principles with others. I worked on an IFES contract in 2005 to provide technical assistance to the Iraqi Out-of-Country voting process. I had occasion to talk to an elderly lady in line to vote in San Diego. I asked her if she was all right with waiting in line—at that point the line was more than two hours long—she told me that she had been waiting most of her life for this moment and that each moment she waited “filled her with joy.”  I think of her often in my work and in my personal life; especially at times when it would be good for me to be a little more “filled with joy.”  

IFES: What are the key steps that countries can take to improve their electoral systems?