In This Issue

Pakistan's voters signaled their strong desire for democratic change on election day, but domestic and international analysts question whether the country's new parliament will be able to deliver meaningful reform.… read more »

U.S. presidential candidates are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on campaign ads while research suggests that voters care more about their performance in the presidential debates. "Debates are the single most important decision maker for people," said Diana Carlin, a leading expert on political communications and former member of the advisory board for the Commission on Presidential Debates.… read more »

Filipinos fed up with the violence that mars elections in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao pledged to work together to find solutions at the second Summit on Election Security in Cotabato City on February 25. Policemen, media, community leaders, soldiers and election officials were among the 72 participants at the summit, organized by IFES and its local partner, the Citizens Coalition for ARMM Electoral Reform, or Citizens' CARE.… read more »

During federal elections last month, more than 1,500 Swiss electors voted online in the Neuchâl canton, one of Switzerland's 26 states. This is the sixth time that voters have used this electronic voting system in Neuchâl for federal elections and it went off without a hitch.… read more »

The Democracy and Election Alliance Network, one of the largest networks of domestic election observers in Nepal launched a new election portal in late February at a ceremony in Kathmandu. DEAN, an initiative of the National Democratic Institute, created the website with support from IFES.… read more »