On November 15, 2009, Kosovo will hold its first elections since they declared independence in February 2008. These municipal and mayoral elections will also be the first to be fully administered by Kosovo's Central Election Commission (CEC). These historic elections arrive after more than a decade of struggle—a period that included the turmoil experienced during the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia and bloody Kosovo War. Kosovo is now recognized by over 60 United Nations member states, including the United States, and free to determine its political future.

IFES recently signed a letter of agreement with the CEC to provide technical support for the elections. IFES will be providing assistance in setting up and operating the results center including an SMS preliminary results reporting system, assisting with special needs voting in Serbian northern municipalities, operating a media center, providing assistance to blind voters using a TBG, direct technical advice, and a substantial public information and media campaign.

One important area in which IFES will be assisting the commission is in helping it sharpen its outreach tools. These tools include public information campaigns, crafting special messages to reach minorities, and targeting young voters through initiatives that appeal to them. IFES will also help the CEC improve its communication platforms, including their social media and cellular phone efforts, to further empower the population with information about this election.

The bulk of the public information campaigns consists of radio and television public service announcements (PSAs) encouraging people to become informed about the issues and the candidates and to vote on Election Day. IFES will help the CEC streamline the process of producing and delivering these PSAs by implementing a new system of deliverable submission and approval that includes electronic transmission of content to the CEC committee prior to and sometimes in lieu of meetings. The process has enabled the CEC to make more substantive recommendations and speed up the approval process, providing the viewer a better and more timely message.

Minority outreach is also an important part of the CEC's public communication work. IFES’ team of experts is advising the CEC on ways to better reach the nine registered subgroups of the population, the largest of which is Serbian. The recommendations include creating materials that are culturally sensitive and in their respective languages. The CEC will fully utilize these efforts by purchasing additional airtime on private local Serbian television and radio as well as on media in other languages.

Informing the youth of the importance of exercising the right to vote is a priority not only because all eligible voters should have a say in the way they are governed, but also because it is important to instill democratic values in the younger generation so these values develop and transfer to the future. IFES is helping the CEC speak to the youth on their terms by using music. The CEC hopes to inspire the youth to vote and to increase their participation in the electoral process. Among the events being planned to attract youth are a series of live, rock-the-vote concerts in three or four cities.

IFES will also help the CEC set up its own social networks, including a blog, and link them to the main elections web site. These social networks will establish a database of members so that special communications can be sent directly to them and they are encouraged to engage others to volunteer in support of elections.

Finally, the CEC is planning to set up a hotline for people to call and gather important election information. This hotline will include information on polling places, election results and other frequently asked questions.

Information is an indispensable tool in the democratic process. Individuals must be empowered with information about their right to vote, the electoral process, the different candidates and political parties running for office and the issues involved in the elections to properly exercise their right and responsibility as citizens—casting their vote on their country's affairs.  IFES is boosting the CEC's efforts to spread important information to the population before the historic Nov. 15 election in order to empower Kosovo citizens on this important day.