The Winners of the 2010 Manatt Democracy Award Have Been Announced

August 31, 2010

Representative David Obey (D-WI), former United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator M. Peter McPherson, and Lebanese Minister of Interior and Municipalities Ziad Baroud are the winners of the 2010 annual IFES Charles T. Manatt Democracy Awards. The awards, which recognize extraordinary efforts to advance electoral participation and democratic values, are given yearly to a Republican, a Democrat and a member of the international community to highlight the fact that democracy work transcends political parties and national borders.

Democracy Assistance, Civil Society, Elections

Celebrating 90 Years of Female Enfranchisement in the U.S.

August 26, 2010

Voting is a human right, yet for many having a say in one’s government through the ballot is hard-fought and elusive. In the United States, women were only enfranchised on August 26, 1920 when the Nineteenth Amendment became law. This occurred over 100 years after the Constitution was written.

Gender Issues, Constitutional Law, Elections

Report on the Fourth International Conference on Electronic Voting 2010

August 26, 2010

As more countries are discussing the adoption of voting technology, it is important to fully explore the challenges and drawbacks of e-voting. To this end, election experts gathered at the Fourth International Conference on Electronic Voting, which explores some of the challenges presented by e-voting. The conference took place in Bregenz, Austria from July 21-24, 2010.

Voting Technology, Elections

Nigeria: Debating a New Voters Register Four Months before Election Day

August 25, 2010

Earlier this year, Nigeria held the world’s attention with the illness and subsequent death of President Umaru Yar'Adua. After his passing, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan assumed the presidency. In January 2011, the tenure of the current presidency will expire and Nigeria will hold presidential elections to elect the country’s next leader.

Voter Registration, Elections, Education

Focus on Lebanon | Lobby Training Manual

August 2010

Lobbying is a critical component of the democratic process. The essence of representative government is that policymakers should be representing the needs of their constituencies when they pass laws.

Gender Issues, Civil Society, Election Law, Election Management, Elections

Election Commission of Pakistan Holds Workshop on Electoral Reform

August 17, 2010

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), supported by IFES, conducted a workshop on Electoral Systems and Reform. The event, held on August 16 2010, included a presentation from Prof. Andrew Reynolds (University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill), one of the world’s leading experts on electoral systems. Participants included the Chief Election Commissioner, other senior members of the ECP from all four provinces of Pakistan, civil society representatives and IFES Pakistan staff members.

Election Management, Elections, Election Procedures, Election Law, Legal Framework

Free and Fair Election Network Launches Political and Electoral Violence Reports

August 17, 2010

On Monday 16 August the Free and Fair Election Network launched the first two reports from its IFES funded Political and Electoral Violence Education and Resolution (PEVER) project. The project has used FAFEN’s field monitors in 150 constituencies throughout Pakistan to report on and verify incidences of political and electoral violence since October 2009. The first two reports cover the period of 15 October 2009 to 31 May 2010.

Election Management, Elections, Election Procedures, Electoral Systems, Post-conflict

Guinea’s Foreign Affairs Minister Visits IFES

August 10, 2010

Foreign Affairs Minister Bakary Fofana visited IFES’s headquarters on August 10, 2010. Minister Fofana, in Washington on an official visit, met with IFES staff on what he called an emotional reunion with long-time colleagues.

Elections, Democracy Assistance, Civil Society

Rwanda Goes to the Polls

August 09, 2010

Rwanda is holding presidential elections on August 9, 2010. It is generally believed that the current president Paul Kagame will win the poll. Almami Cyllah, IFES regional director, comments:

Elections, Civil Society, Democracy Assistance

IFES' local Filipino Partners Recognized by the Election Commission

August 05, 2010

The Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) held a meeting on July 27 for the accredited election watchdogs and other local organizations that monitored the recently conducted May 2010 elections. Included in this reunion were two of IFES-Philippines’ partners—the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao-based Citizens CARE and the Lawyers Network for Truthful Elections.

Elections